Photo: AC
The West should cease purchasing gas and oil from Russia, said Ukraine’s most prominent energy company. According to Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko, sanctions against Russia should be more severe than it already is and aimed straight at energy.
To cease the conflict from extensive conquering, “it should make this very clear choice to get rid of this dependency on Russian gas and oil,” said Vitrenko. With economic sanctions, “you have to believe as if you were at war with Russia,” he further stated.
Currently, Russian oil and gas are not indicated among Western sanctions. However, the second-largest oil company in Russia – Lukoil – urged the government to conclude the crisis, saying that it is worried about the “tragic events in Ukraine.”
Vitrenko stated that all must be executed to prevent the rule of Putin, which he calls Russia’s “killing machine,” from gaining any profits. He alleged the Russian leader of utilizing the gains from oil “to kill innocent people.”
Vitrenko continued that Russia must be considered a scoundrel country the same way the US treats Iran and that the Russian sanctions should mirror that. He later added that energy sanctions must be permanent.
“I would say that it’s not a short-term measure because I believe that in the longer term, you can reach climate change targets without Russian gas, so it’s just a matter of choice,” he said.
He commended Germany’s measures to block off the Nord Stream 2 gas project, which was developed to increase the volume of Russian gas that ran directly into Germany by two times.
While he believed the measure was past due, he stated it was “better late than never.” It was a surprise “not just to us, but also to the Germans” that Putin steered to the directions he is currently administering, Vitrenko added.
He continued, it was a “pleasant surprise that finally Europe, and Germany in particular, are serious about making sure that Putin stops getting a revenue stream.”
Vitrenko is an addition to many who have spoken about pressuring lawmakers in the US and Europe to sanction Russian oil and gas.
