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| Russia criticises Amber Rudd over 'misleading' gas export comments | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Russia has waded into Britain’s EU referendum debate to accuse the energy secretary, Amber Rudd, of making misleading comments when she claimed that the EU provided protection against being bullied by Vladimir Putin over Russian gas exports. | Russia has waded into Britain’s EU referendum debate to accuse the energy secretary, Amber Rudd, of making misleading comments when she claimed that the EU provided protection against being bullied by Vladimir Putin over Russian gas exports. |
| Rudd had warned in a speech on Thursday that the breakup of the EU single market for energy would give Russia more influence over the continent, arguing that a united European bloc had “the power to force Putin’s hand”. | Rudd had warned in a speech on Thursday that the breakup of the EU single market for energy would give Russia more influence over the continent, arguing that a united European bloc had “the power to force Putin’s hand”. |
| The Russian embassy in London released a statement on Friday describing Rudd’s comments as “surprising and disappointing” and accusing her of dragging Russia into a “domestic quarrel”. | The Russian embassy in London released a statement on Friday describing Rudd’s comments as “surprising and disappointing” and accusing her of dragging Russia into a “domestic quarrel”. |
| “It misrepresents the situation and defies the logic of this business as it applies to Britain,” said the statement. | “It misrepresents the situation and defies the logic of this business as it applies to Britain,” said the statement. |
| Denying that the Kremlin used gas supplies as a tool of foreign policy, the embassy said Russian gas supplies were “relatively small within [the] UK’s energy balance” and would hardly have a significant impact on the country’s energy security. | |
| It added: “Secondly, Russian gas comes to the UK through continental Europe, therefore Brexit could have quite an opposite effect, with potential increase in UK’s dependence on the LNG [liquefied natural gas] supply from Qatar. | It added: “Secondly, Russian gas comes to the UK through continental Europe, therefore Brexit could have quite an opposite effect, with potential increase in UK’s dependence on the LNG [liquefied natural gas] supply from Qatar. |
| “We consider the above comments of Ms Rudd to be made for ‘domestic consumption’ in the context of the EU referendum campaign. Why drag Russia into this domestic quarrel, which must be fought on the merits of the issue in question?” | “We consider the above comments of Ms Rudd to be made for ‘domestic consumption’ in the context of the EU referendum campaign. Why drag Russia into this domestic quarrel, which must be fought on the merits of the issue in question?” |
| Rudd had already faced criticism over the speech, in which she claimed energy bills would soar by £500m a year if the UK left the EU, and went on to say: “We have seen how countries such as Putin’s Russia use their gas as a tool of foreign policy, threatening to cut off supplies or drastically increase prices.” | Rudd had already faced criticism over the speech, in which she claimed energy bills would soar by £500m a year if the UK left the EU, and went on to say: “We have seen how countries such as Putin’s Russia use their gas as a tool of foreign policy, threatening to cut off supplies or drastically increase prices.” |
| Related: How Russian energy giant Gazprom lost $300bn | |
| Speaking during a visit to the site of an interconnector pipeline in Kent, which brings electricity supplies from the continent, she said: “We mustn’t let our energy security be hijacked as a political pawn to bring Europe to its knees. By working together in the European Union we can stop this becoming a reality.” | Speaking during a visit to the site of an interconnector pipeline in Kent, which brings electricity supplies from the continent, she said: “We mustn’t let our energy security be hijacked as a political pawn to bring Europe to its knees. By working together in the European Union we can stop this becoming a reality.” |
| She subsequently acknowledged in an interview on BBC Radio 4 that “very little” Russian gas was imported to the UK but said gas from Russia would “play an important part in security in Europe”. | She subsequently acknowledged in an interview on BBC Radio 4 that “very little” Russian gas was imported to the UK but said gas from Russia would “play an important part in security in Europe”. |
| Russia provides about 30% of the EU’s gas, while a supply deal signed last year by Britain’s largest energy supplier, Centrica, meant at that time Russia’s gas export giant Gazprom would provide 9% of British gas needs. | Russia provides about 30% of the EU’s gas, while a supply deal signed last year by Britain’s largest energy supplier, Centrica, meant at that time Russia’s gas export giant Gazprom would provide 9% of British gas needs. |
| Since vulnerabilities in the EU energy market were exposed by gas supply cuts in 2006 and 2009, the EU has increasingly been looking to reduce its reliance on Russian natural gas. | Since vulnerabilities in the EU energy market were exposed by gas supply cuts in 2006 and 2009, the EU has increasingly been looking to reduce its reliance on Russian natural gas. |
| The former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt has argued that Putin would relish a British exit from the EU because Britain has strongly supported an independent European strategy designed to reduce European reliance on gas. | The former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt has argued that Putin would relish a British exit from the EU because Britain has strongly supported an independent European strategy designed to reduce European reliance on gas. |
| Writing in the Guardian in January, he said: “Moscow continues to channel millions of dollars to lobbyists across Europe, who are paid to obstruct and impede plans spearheaded by the European commission for a so-called ‘energy union’, the main purpose of which is to boost independence from Russian gas.” | Writing in the Guardian in January, he said: “Moscow continues to channel millions of dollars to lobbyists across Europe, who are paid to obstruct and impede plans spearheaded by the European commission for a so-called ‘energy union’, the main purpose of which is to boost independence from Russian gas.” |