West environment talks ‘derail’ projects

MOSCOW: The West uses the environment topic as a shield to justify its attempts to derail Russia’s strategic projects in the Arctic, Russian Security Council First Deputy Secretary Yury Averyanov said in an interview with Sputnik, noting that Western environmental experts who furiously protest Russia’s operation in the region do not say a single word about other countries.

When asked whether competitors could be “squeezed out” of economically attractive Arctic territories under the pretext of nature protection, Averyanov noted that such a danger exists.

“We see that Western countries are increasingly turning ecological and environmental issues into an instrument of pressure and unfair competition,” Averyanov explained.