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Russia 'secretly working with environmentalists to oppose fracking' Russia 'secretly working with environmentalists to oppose fracking'
(35 minutes later)
Russia is secretly working with environmental groups campaigning against fracking in an attempt to maintain Europe's dependence on energy imports from Moscow, the secretary-general of Nato has said.Russia is secretly working with environmental groups campaigning against fracking in an attempt to maintain Europe's dependence on energy imports from Moscow, the secretary-general of Nato has said.
Speaking at the Chatham House foreign affairs think-tank in London, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia was mounting a sophisticated disinformation campaign aimed at undermining attempts to exploit alternative energy sources such as shale gas.Speaking at the Chatham House foreign affairs think-tank in London, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia was mounting a sophisticated disinformation campaign aimed at undermining attempts to exploit alternative energy sources such as shale gas.
"I have met allies who can report that Russia, as part of their sophisticated information and disinformation operations, engaged actively with so-called non-governmental organisations - environmental organisations working against shale gas - to maintain European dependence on imported Russian gas. That is my interpretation," he said."I have met allies who can report that Russia, as part of their sophisticated information and disinformation operations, engaged actively with so-called non-governmental organisations - environmental organisations working against shale gas - to maintain European dependence on imported Russian gas. That is my interpretation," he said.
Rasmussen did not say what form the Russians' engagement with the environmentalists took or whether groups concerned were aware that they were dealing with Moscow's agents.Rasmussen did not say what form the Russians' engagement with the environmentalists took or whether groups concerned were aware that they were dealing with Moscow's agents.
He said that improving energy security was of the "utmost importance" and required European nations to develop more diverse sources of supply.He said that improving energy security was of the "utmost importance" and required European nations to develop more diverse sources of supply.
"It also, in my opinion, involves the better functioning of the European energy market so that one single supplier is not able to able to blackmail one single nation," he said."It also, in my opinion, involves the better functioning of the European energy market so that one single supplier is not able to able to blackmail one single nation," he said.
Mr Rasmussen's claim that Russia was working with environmental groups to discredit fracking drew an angry response from Greenpeace.
Thirty activists and journalists on the group's ship, Arctic Sunrise, were arrested by the Russian authorities and threatened with up to 15 years in jail last year after they staged an anti-drilling protest on a Russian offshore oill platform.
"The idea we're puppets of Putin is so preposterous that you have to wonder what they're smoking over at Nato HQ. Mr Rasmussen should spend less time dreaming up conspiracy theories and more time on the facts," a Greenpeace spokesman said. "Fracked gas will probably cost more than Russian imports – there's little chance fracking will generate more than a small fraction of Europe's gas needs and it won't even do that for at least 10 years."
Friends of the Earth's head of campaigns, Andrew Pendleton, was equally dismissive. "Perhaps the Russians are worried about our huge wind and solar potential, and have infiltrated the UK government," he said.