Page 12 - FSUOGM Week 12 2022

FSUOGM POLICY FSUOGM

Exiled Russian figures urge tougher EU

action against Russian oil and gas

RUSSIA AN anti-war group in Russia is pushing for EU "We urge Western countries to direct pay-
states to direct their payments for Russian oil and ments for contracted Russian oil and gas supplies
The committee includes gas to bank accounts that have been frozen as a to Russian bank accounts in EU member states
ex-oil tycoon Mikhail result of sanctions, to deprive Moscow of reve- that are already under sanctions and cannot be
Khodorkovsky. nue in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. used to pay for Putin's aggression in Ukraine,"
The Anti-War Committee of Russia, com- the group said. "Ultimately, permissions for how
prising a number of exiled Russian public fig- to use these should be determined by the EU
ures, from former politicians and economists to member states following consultations with the
writers, journalists, historians, scientists, activ- legitimate government of Ukraine."
ists and journalists, said the unprecedented sanc- The committee’s notable members include
tions imposed so far had had “a sobering effect former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky,
on many leaders in Russia.” ex-world chess champion Garry Kasparov,
“But so far [they] have not led to the abandon- opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, exiled
ment of military aggression against Ukraine,” the former lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov and leading
committee said. “The sanctions have not affected economist Sergei Guriyev.
the most important resource for financing The EU has unveiled plans to slash its imports
aggression: foreign exchange earnings from the of Russian gas by as much as two thirds within
supply of energy resources and other raw mate- a year, although analysts are sceptical that such
rials to the EU, primarily payments for natural an ambitious plan can be achieved. For one,
gas supplies.” many countries have long-term gas supply con-
“In fact, this money is now landing in tracts with Russia that they would have to break.
Kharkov and Mariupol in the form of bombs and Soaring gas prices also mean buying alternative
missiles,” the committee said. supplies from the market would be extremely
The group said it acknowledged the difficul- expensive.
ties that a number of European countries had in For the time being at least, Russian gas sup-
ditching Russian oil and gas quickly. “But we are plies to Europe remain stable and the continent
convinced that a new step must be taken to limit has even seen an increase in deliveries in recent
the ability of the Putin regime to finance military days even while the conflict in Ukraine contin-
aggression.” ues to escalate. ™

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 12 23•March•2022