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A30 world news
Diasabra 21 Mei 2022
Russia to cut Finland’s natural gas in latest energy clash

By JAN M. OLSEN in the currency listed in their
Associated Press contracts and then formally
COPENHAGEN, Den- signal that the payment pro-
mark (AP) — Russia will cess is concluded. But it says
cut off natural gas to opening a second account in
Finland after the Nordic rubles would breach sanc-
country that applied for tions.
NATO membership this That has left countries
week refused President scrambling to decide what to
Vladimir Putin’s demand do next. Analysts say the EU
to pay in rubles, the Finn- stance is ambiguous enough
ish state-owned energy to allow the Kremlin to keep
company said Friday, the trying to undermine unity
latest escalation over Eu- among the 27 member coun-
ropean energy amid the tries — but losing major Eu-
war in Ukraine. ropean customers like Italy
and Germany would cost
Finland is the latest country to Russia heavily. It comes as
lose the energy supply, which Europe tries to reduce its de- Finnish broadcaster YLE do with the sanctions and It “will play a major role in
is used to generate electric- pendency on Russian oil and
ity and power industry, after gas to avoid pouring hun- said. Almost all of that gas the fact that they want to be securing gas supplies for Fin-
came from Russia. That pales paid in rubles” than Finland’s land’s industry,” Lintila said.
rejecting Russia’s decree. Po- dreds of millions into Putin’s
land and Bulgaria were cut war chest each day but build in comparison to big import- application to NATO, said The vessel should be ready to
ers like Italy and Germany, Charly Salonius-Pasternak, operate by next winter.
off late last month but, along enough reserves before win-
with Finland, were relatively ter from scarce worldwide which get 40% and 35% of an analyst with the Finnish Finland and Estonia have
their gas from Russia, respec-
been cooperating on rent-
Institute of International Af-
minor customers who had supplies. ing the LNG terminal ship,
prepared to move away from Finland refused the new pay- tively. fairs in Helsinki.
“Russia uses its energy as a which will provide enough
According to Finland’s Ga-
Russian natural gas. ment system, with energy storage and supply capacity to
Putin has declared that “un- company Gasum saying its sum, Russian state-owned weapon as part of its geopo-
energy giant Gazprom said litical thinking,” he said. “It allow Russian gas to be aban-
friendly foreign buyers” open supply from Russia would be doned in the neighboring
two accounts in state-owned halted Saturday. in April that future payments will have little impact on Fin- countries, said Gasgrid Fin-
in its supply contract must land, which has been diversi-
Gazprombank, one to pay in CEO Mika Wiljanen called
euros and dollars as specified the cutoff “highly regret- be made in rubles instead of fying its energy (sources) in land, the transmission net-
recent years.”
work company. A gas pipeline
euros.
in contracts and another in table.”
The government in Helsinki between the neighbors will
rubles. Italian energy com- But “provided that there will The cutoff was announced said Friday that it had signed make it possible to import gas
pany Eni said this week that be no disruptions in the gas
it was “starting procedures” transmission network, we the same week that Finland, a 10-year lease for a floating from the Baltic states instead
along with Sweden, applied liquefied natural gas terminal of Russia.
to open a euro and a ruble ac- will be able to supply all our
count. customers with gas in the to join the NATO military in the Gulf of Finland and Meanwhile, Italian company
organization, marking one that necessary port structures Eni said Tuesday that it was
The European Commission, coming months,” Wiljanen
the European Union’s execu- said. of the biggest geopolitical will be built along the coasts moving to follow Putin’s de-
ramifications of the war that of the Nordic country and cree “in view of the imminent
tive arm, has said the system Natural gas accounted for
does not violate EU sanctions just 6% of Finland’s total en- could rewrite Europe’s secu- Estonia, Economy Minister payment due in the coming
days” but did not agree with
rity map.
Mika Lintila said in a state-
if countries make a payment ergy consumption in 2020,
The gas cutoff “has more to ment. the changes.
U.N.: 18 million facing severe hunger in West Africa’s Sahel
GENEVA (AP) — The insecurity, deep poverty and
U.N. is warning that 18 record-high food prices is ex-
million people in Africa’s acerbating malnutrition and
Sahel region face severe driving millions to the fringes
hunger in the next three of survival,” Martin Griffiths,
months, citing the impacts the head of OCHA, said in a
of Russia’s war in Ukraine, statement.
the coronavirus pandem- “The recent spike in food
ic, climate-induced shocks prices driven by the conflict
and rising costs. between Russia and Ukraine
is threatening to turn a food
The hunger crisis may press security crisis into a hu-
increased numbers of people manitarian disaster,” he said.
to migrate out of the affected Those two countries are key
areas, said a U.N. official. producers of wheat, barley
The largest number of people and other agricultural prod-
are at risk of severe hunger ucts, and the conflict has al-
across the region since 2014, most entirely halted exports
and four countries — Burki- through the Black Sea.
na Faso, Chad, Mali and Ni- Griffiths’ office is releasing
ger — are facing “alarming $30 million from its emer-
levels,” with nearly 1.7 mil- a vast territory stretching spokesman for the U.N.’s ends meet by migrating: It’s gency relief fund for the four
lion people facing emergen- across the south of the Sa- Nobel Peace Prize-winning a very, very likely possibility.” African countries.
cy levels of food insecurity hara Desert, have faced their World Food Program, said. Many people from the region Humanitarian groups earlier
there, the Office for the Co- worst agricultural production “The situation is definitely are among migrants who seek this year launched appeals
ordination of Humanitarian in more than a decade, and going to get worse before it to travel north to Europe in seeking $3.8 billion in aid for
Affairs said Friday. food shortages could worsen gets better,” he told report- hopes of economic opportu- the region in 2022, but they
as the lean season arrives in ers in Geneva. “We may see nity, more stability and safety. remain only 12% funded,
Parts of the Sahel region, late summer, Tomson Phiri, more people trying to make “A combination of violence, OCHA said.