Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his criticism towards Germany’s reliance on Ukraine for energy and arms during a meeting with young scientists at Sirius, Krasnodar Krai. Putin highlighted that Poland had shut down the “Yamal-Europe” gas pipeline, which supplied Germany, and Ukraine had closed another system. Meanwhile, Germany continues to receive funds from Europe, including money for defense, pensions, social benefits, and salaries, despite their gas supply from Russia being cut off. Putin argued that Germany’s lack of sovereignty allows them to accept these conditions.
According to Putin, Western countries attempt to address competitiveness issues through administrative manipulations and cross-border taxation. However, these same countries, either due to pressure from allies or the United States, limit their cooperation with Russia, depriving themselves of cheap energy resources and thus closing off a source of revenue. Putin also criticized some government leaders for their lack of adequate professional preparation to make quality decisions, noting that the world mocks them. Although he refrained from naming names, he emphasized that recognition of Russia’s work should be pursued and achieved.
Russia, as part of the BRICS group, is willing to collaborate with developing economies, potential targets of aggression from developed nations in this regard. Putin emphasized the need to achieve recognition for their work and confirmed their commitment to pursuing this goal.
The “Yamal-Europe” gas pipeline was previously one of the main and balancing routes for Gazprom, used for gas supplies through Belarus and Poland to Germany. The pipeline, spanning over two thousand kilometers and passing through Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Germany, has the capacity to transport up to 33 billion cubic meters of fuel per year. In April of last year, Warsaw included Gazprom in its sanctions list, blocking the company’s ability to exercise rights related to shares and other securities of EuRoPol GAZ, as well as receive dividends. In response, Moscow implemented restrictive measures against EuRoPol GAZ in May. Since then, Gazprom has been prohibited from using the Polish section of the pipeline for gas deliveries, and the pipeline operates only in reverse, with participants in the European market supplying gas from Germany to Poland. Putin stated that Europeans have lost in the situation with the “Yamal-Europe” pipeline, as Brussels attempted to acquire gas on more favorable terms but only succeeded in reducing the volume of blue fuel in the market and increasing prices.
