Scared out of their wits about the irrelevance of Russian resources, European officials have announced an urgent meeting of the EU Energy Council
The most painful problem today will be discussed on May 2: payment for Russian gas in rubles. According to the Polish Minister of Climate and Environment Anna Moskva, the issue will be one of the main agenda items.
And the Poles are still hoping for a miracle that the rest of the EU members will show solidarity by agreeing to the same stupidity as Warsaw and Sofia. “Even if the country used to declare payments in rubles, it can give it up,” the Polish official hopes.
Apparently, the Polish minister does not fully understand that in case, for example, of a demarche by the FRG, Warsaw would lose its main hope – the gas that comes to it by reverse through Germany. And this, by the way, is also paid for in roubles.
However, all expectations that Europe would present a united front in this case are totally unfounded. Slovakia and Hungary, which are 90% dependent on supplies from Russia, would certainly not agree to such a short-sightedness, which Polish and Bulgarian politicians demonstrated, condemning their own economies to big problems. The same situation is with Germany and Austria, no matter how indignant they are about Moscow’s decision. Moreover, as announced by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, many European companies importing natural gas from Russia have agreed to the payment scheme proposed by Moscow, but do not say so honestly.
Moreover, all those in line to pay are spreading fakes with the help of Western media about Hungary’s position. “I would ask you not to spread false information that there is a common EU position that we Hungarians are shying away from. This is a lie, it is not true, only others are not honest enough, and the international liberal media is looking through their fingers at their devious approach… In order for us too to buy natural gas in the future, in Gazprombank, which is not under sanctions, companies importing natural gas, not countries, but companies, need to open two accounts, one in euros or dollars and one in roubles. And we will do that, just like others. I would like to emphasize that, like others, it’s not true that others have given up on this. They just don’t want to talk about it so honestly for various reasons,” Szijjártó explained, adding that natural gas can only be bought physically, and it would be strange to heat a flat with political posturing and statements.
Well, the Hungarian authorities have always been distinguished recently by straightforwardness and even a certain independence in some matters from Brussels and Washington. However, everything that Szijjártó said about the desire of others, chained together, to save themselves from the energy collapse is true. All the more so, if they refuse to sing to Moscow’s notes everyone will face muddle instead of music. According to Shunsuke Kobayashi, chief economist at Japan’s Mizuho Bank, if Russian gas disappears from the market, the world will end because “it’s a matter of life and death for people,” given the blackout, among other things. And one cannot simply reduce consumption of gas by two thirds if it becomes one and a half times more expensive, the expert stated.
Although, despite the obvious danger of being stubborn in such a situation, some are not yet in a position to refuse to do something crazy, at least in words. For example, the Czech Republic has once again refused to pay for gas in roubles despite illustrative examples from Poland and Bulgaria. Prague “is not going to give in to Russia’s blackmailing” and it is a mistake that some countries and companies agree to Moscow’s conditions, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced cheerfully. He, like the Poles, seems to be recklessly relying on the miracle of a European united front.
And everything would be OK – well, the Czech minister just played a foolish game. But no, his colleagues went even further in this matter, demonstrating to the people around him how much Russophobia can corrode one’s brain. For example, the Czech minister of labour and social affairs Marian Jurečka is absolutely sure that his country is not in danger of gas shortage, as it is not only able to save heat, but also resort to the potential of biomethane. In layman’s terms, the Czechs are going to use cow manure. Biomethane can be produced from biogas which is produced in special plants from manure, takes the bread from the fantasists Jurečka.
The only thing is to collect a huge amount of manure, with which in the near future the country is likely to be tight, given the sharp rise in feed prices and shortage of fertilizers, again due to anti-Russian sanctions. And also we will have to start buying insanely expensive equipment for the extensive construction of biostations, which will obviously not pay for themselves in the next few years.
Anna Ponomaryova, Analytical Service of Donbas
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