Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Monday of the adverse ecological consequences of Europe’s rejection of Russian gas, claiming it will force the use of fossil minerals, which are more harmful to the environment.
“Buying cheap Russian gas and cutting off the supply of that gas and immediately using everything that has been declared an abomination, including coal, is not the best solution to global ecological problems,” Putin said at a forum in the Kamchatka region of Russia.
The Russian president defended that to reduce pollution, timely measures are needed, including adapting the industry.
“I think the importance of this problem (…) requires cooperation on an international scale. It cannot be otherwise. It is impossible to solve global problems with local solutions, even if noble causes underlie these local efforts. ” said Putin.
The Russian leader explained that some countries made ecological mistakes by “making too many decisions” based on noble but unachievable goals, which ultimately led to adverse consequences.
Putin referred to the fact that Europe is seeking to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, after the invasion of Ukraine, as part of economic sanctions, while accusing the Kremlin of using energy as a weapon of war.
In recent days, European countries have accused Moscow of preparing to cut power next winter, questioning the reasons for suspending gas supplies to Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline.
The Russian gas consortium that manages Nord Stream announced on Friday that it would stop gas flow to Europe via Germany due to an oil leak detected in a turbine of the only operating compressor station, which the European Union has already said is a “fallacy”.
On Monday, Russian presidency spokesman Dmitry Peskov again rejected any attempt to blame the cessation of gas supplies.
“We have seen constant attempts to take responsibility for what is happening. We categorically reject these suspicions. (…) The gas supply problem has arisen due to the sanctions imposed on our country and on a number of Russian companies, to some of the western countries, including Germany and the United Kingdom,” explains Peskov.
The Kremlin spokesman said that “only one turbine in the pipeline remains operational and even then fails, justifying the interruption of supply”.
Source: DN
