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world news Diaranson 9 Maart 2022

Shell says it will stop buying Russian oil, natural gas

(AP) — Shell said Tuesday that it for Ukrainians. It also said it would
will stop buying Russian oil after shut its service stations, aviation fuels
Ukrainian officials criticized the and lubricants businesses in Russia.
energy giant for buying a ship-
ment of crude from Moscow and David Elmes, a professor at Warwick
demanded that all multinational Business School in the United King-
companies sever ties with Russia dom and a former energy industry
over the war. executive, said Shell may find it hard
to ensure it isn’t buying Russian oil
The move came hours before the because shipments are often sold
U.S. and British governments banned multiple times and mixed with prod-
Russian oil imports. The European ucts from other sources before they
Union has held back because of heavy reach a refinery.
reliance on Russian oil and natural
gas and concerns about the impact on “The challenge for someone like
global energy supplies. The turmoil Shell is how do you detach yourself
has rattled global markets, sending from a global market — from one
oil prices surging to a 14-year high of participant in that market?” Elmes
$139 a barrel overnight. said. on countries to stop buying Russian with various governments about the
oil to restrict funding for its military. need to reduce Western reliance on
London-based Shell said it would Shell got about 5% of its oil and 4% But there is a tradeoff. Russia is the Russian oil and gas, while maintain-
immediately stop buying Russian oil of its natural gas from Russia in 2020, world’s second-biggest oil producer, ing energy supplies for business and
on the spot market, which is used for according to the company’s annual so it could have major effects on con- consumers.
one-time deals involving rapid deliv- report. sumers already facing higher prices
eries, and it would not renew longer- for everything from food to electric- The company made the decision to
term contracts. The company intends Its decision to stop buying Russian ity bills because of low energy sup- stop buying Russian energy after re-
to totally withdraw from the Russian energy comes a week after it said it plies in Europe and elsewhere. ceiving new government guidance,
market for oil, oil products, natu- was “shocked by the loss of life in he said. European Union officials
ral gas and liquefied natural gas in a Ukraine” and would end its joint Major companies from Apple to unveiled proposals Tuesday to slash
“phased manner.” ventures with Gazprom, the massive Volkswagen also have pulled out of reliance on Russian natural gas by
oil and gas company controlled by the Russia, with McDonald’s the latest two-thirds by the end of the year,
“We are acutely aware that our deci- Russian government. Tuesday. including by purchasing natural gas
sion last week to purchase a cargo of from other suppliers.
Russian crude oil to be refined into But soon after, Ukrainian Foreign A month ago, oil was selling for about
products like petrol and diesel — Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he had $90 a barrel. Now, prices have surged “These societal challenges highlight
despite being made with security of been told Shell “discreetly” bought a past $120 a barrel as buyers shun Rus- the dilemma between putting pres-
supplies at the forefront of our think- shipment of Russian oil. He put the sian crude, with many refiners fear- sure on the Russian government over
ing — was not the right one and we news on Twitter, forcing Shell to ex- ing that sanctions could be imposed its atrocities in Ukraine and ensuring
are sorry,” CEO Ben van Beurden plain its decision. in the future. They worry about be- stable, secure energy supplies across
said in a statement. ing left with inventories they can’t re- Europe,” van Beurden said. “But ul-
“One question to Shell: doesn’t Rus- sell if sanctions were imposed in the timately, it is for governments to de-
Shell said any profit it makes on the sian oil smell (like) Ukrainian blood near future. cide on the incredibly difficult trad-
“limited, remaining amounts of Rus- for you?” Kuleba said. eoffs that must be made during the
sian oil” it processes will go into a Van Beurden said Shell’s actions until war in Ukraine.”
fund for humanitarian relief efforts Ukraine and its supporters have called now have been guided by discussions

EU pledges to fight Russia’s “information war” in Europe

(AP) — European Union offi- ence and disinformation, the EU’s stop disinformation campaigns in prevent third countries damaging de-
cials on Tuesday defended the top diplomat Josep Borrell brushed member states. mocracies.
27-nation bloc’s decision to ban off critics who say the EU is threaten-
Russian state-controlled media ing freedom of information with the Borrell said Moscow-controlled out- Kaniete said online platforms and
outlets from broadcasting in the ban on Sputnik and RT/Russia Today. lets are part of a well-oiled propagan- tech companies need to suspend all
region as decisive steps to check da machine providing biased news social accounts engaged in “deny-
a Kremlin-led “information war.” The EU has decided to suspend the about Vladimir Putin’s true inten- ing, glorifying and justifying Putin’s
broadcasting activities of Sputnik and tions. aggression, war crimes and crimes
Speaking at the European Parliament RT/Russia Today in the bloc until against humanity.”
during a debate on foreign interfer- Russia ends its war in Ukraine and Borrell insisted that Sputnik was cre-
ated by a presidential decree with the She also proposed to reinforce con-
aim of reporting on Russia’s sate poli- tent in Russian and Ukrainian to re-
cies abroad, and said that Russia To- sist the pressure from Russia’s disin-
day is capable of conducting an “in- formation.
formation war” against the western
world. European Commission Vera Jourova
said Putin wants his people to be “ap-
Borrell said he will soon propose a athetic” and praised streaming plat-
new mechanism that will allow the form Netflix’s decision to suspend its
EU to sanction disinformation ac- Russian services.
tors. Lawmakers from the special
committee on foreign interference Both Borrell and Jourova expressed
and disinformation are also propos- deep concerns about the imposed
ing to establish a sanctions regime to censorship in Russia that threatens
deal with foreign meddling. independent journalists with jail
terms and deprives citizens access to
MEP Sandra Kalniete, the author of verified information about what their
the report, said it’s crucial for the EU government is doing in Ukraine.
to counter foreign threats in a bid to