Ukraine: London accuses Russia of wanting to install pro-Russian leaders
The UK claims to have information that Moscow aims to install a pro-Russian leader in Kiev: the accusation comes from the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Former Ukrainian deputy Yevhen Murayev is a potential candidate, according to the Foreign Office, some recall how Russian intelligence services have ties to many former Ukrainian politicians. Other Moscow allies Serguii Arbouzov (first Ukrainian vice-premier from 2012 to 2014, then interim prime minister), Andrii Klouiev (who headed the presidential administration of former Ukrainian head of state Viktor Yanukovych), Volodymyr Sivkovytch ( former Deputy Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council) or even Mykola Azarov (Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014). Moscow dismissed London’s accusations that Russia is trying to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine as “nonsense”. “We ask the Foreign Ministry to stop spreading nonsense,” the Russian Foreign Ministry tweeted, but Washington said it was “very worried”.
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Gas, Biden: “Talks with Qatar for EU supplies if Moscow invades”
The United States is holding talks with Qatar and other large gas exporters to plan emergency measures in the event that a Russian invasion of Ukraine cuts off supplies to Europe. These contacts, focused on the possibility of securing additional shipments of liquefied natural gas by sea, have now become urgent after the security negotiations between Washington and Moscow in recent days have produced minimal progress. According to the Financial Times, this has increased concerns about a conflict that could affect gas supplies at a time when Europe is already facing the cost of energy.
But Europe is still too dependent on Russian gas on gas
However, the experts, the FT always explains, have highlighted that there is no “magic wand” to solve the potential deficit of the continent already in the grip of an energy crisis. As Repubblica writes, Gazprom’s supplies guarantee 40% of the Union’s needs Brussels tries to cure addiction, but the transition takes a long time. The United States has threatened severe sanctions against Russia if it invades, while some energy officials have accused the Kremlin of already leveraging its gas exports. Fatih Birol himself, head of the International Energy Agency, acknowledged that Russia is throttling gas supplies to Europe at a time of “heightened geopolitical tensions”. There are fears that the conflict could lead to a further drop in gas supplies to Europe, grappling with record inflation and skyrocketing energy prices. If gas stocks decline, and if Russian exports were to drop sharply, Europe could be grappling with possible blackouts of industrial plants, among other things.
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