‘It’s time’: Johnson urges Europe to move away from oil and gas from Russia

Europe should refuse oil and gas from Russia, even if it will be painful measures for Europeans. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this today in Warsaw.

“This crisis (caused by the Russian military operation in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions against the Russian Federation – ed.) will have a price for us (Europe – ed.) and for our electorate. Sanctions have implications for both us and Russia, and no step is free from risks. Difficulties lie ahead, and they may turn out to be significant, but the time has come for Europe to do what it was long overdue to do – to finally abandon dependence on Russian oil and gas, and in the long term, on fossil fuels in general, ”TASS quotes Johnson.

At the same time, he is confident that “the West will be united in supporting Ukraine.” “I have no doubt that if the West maintains this unprecedented unity, and if we go with the chosen strategy of providing military, humanitarian, diplomatic assistance to Ukraine along with defensive weapons,[President Vladimir]Putin’s adventure will ultimately fail,” he said. prime minister, whose words are quoted by RIA Novosti.

At the same time, Johnson warned that Britain retains options for strengthening sanctions against Sberbank.

And the head of the British Ministry of Transport, Grant Shapps, added that the UK had passed a law providing for a complete ban on ships with any connection to Russia from entering British ports.

Recall, on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin made an emergency appeal to the Russians and announced a special military operation in the Donbass. In his speech, he stated that “circumstances require decisive action from Russia” and stressed that “Russia will not allow Ukraine to have nuclear weapons.”

In response to Russia’s actions, Western countries (USA, Canada, European Union, Great Britain, Japan) announced new, tougher sanctions against the Russian Federation, including financial and economic ones.

In particular, Russian banks fell under the sanctions, including Sberbank, VTB, Novikombank, FC Otkritie and Sovcombank, and for a number of state-owned companies it was difficult to attract foreign capital.

Later, the EU countries and the United States agreed to disconnect Russian banks that fell under sanctions from the international system of interbank transactions and information exchange SWIFT. In addition, it was decided to freeze the assets of the Bank of Russia, which will create difficulties for its use of international reserves. EU countries also pledged to take steps to limit the sale of citizenship — the so-called “golden passports” that allow wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government to become citizens of EU states and access their financial systems.

You can follow the chronicle of events around Ukraine on March 1 here.