Former UK envoy to Russia says Vladimir Putin not to be blamed for gas price hike

On Saturday, October 9, a former British ambassor to Moscow brushed off claims that Russian President Vlimir Putin is to blame for recent price hike in natural gas.

In a letter to Times, Sir Tony Brenton, who served as Britain's envoy to Russia from 2004 to 2008, stated that Britain's issues were "self-inflicted" because it failed to secure long-term supply arrangements. He was particularly perplexed by political rhetoric against a planned Russian gas pipeline across Baltic Sea to Germany that promised to alleviate European energy crisis which is threatening exorbitant price spikes for consumers.

"We appear to be desiring more Russian gas while rejecting rd Stream 2, a major new pipeline that will transport it," he wrote in letter. 

On Friday, October 8, Times quoted an anymous UK government minister accusing Putin of "choking off" gas supply through or pipelines, including one through Ukraine, in an attempt to intimidate Germany into allowing rd Stream 2 to start operation.

Meanwhile, a day earlier, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also warned of "serious security consequences" from new pipeline, which, ironically, is expected to dress UK's problem by alleviating a continent-wide supply short, Times reported.

Although rd Stream 2 will have direct influence on UK's energy security, a Downing Street official claimed it might have major consequences for Central and Eastern European countries. He went on to say that several European countries are entirely reliant on Russian gas, raising severe concerns about energy security. 

Factors driving up gas prices

According to Brenton, a post-Covid rise in demand, reduced wind power, frigid 2020-21 winter, and technical disruptions are factors driving up gas prices. Following Putin's anuncement that Russian gas giant Gazprom would hour all orders, gas futures bubble crashed on Wednesday, October 6.

Prices plummeted from around £4 per rm ($1,900 per 1,000 cubic metres) to £2.66 ($1,325 per 1,000 cubic metres) that day, and have since fallen to £2.13 per rm, reported Times. It should be ted here that one rm is amount of energy released when 100 cubic feet (2.83 cubic metres) of natural gas is burned.

As ambassor in 2006, Brenton claims he saw n-Chancellor of Exchequer Gordon Brown bugging Putin about "surging gas prices." Putin isn't only one who is blamed for West's woes. UK's Ro Haul Association and parliamentary opposition have blamed Britain's exit from European Union for a shortfall of 100,000 licenced Heavy Goods Vehicle drivers, prompting recent panic-buying of fuel in country.

However, Conservative Party's lawmakers have pointed out that despite a Europe-wide haul labour crisis caused by low salaries and an ing workforce, sector has failed to invest in training new drivers for nearly a dece, Times reported. 

Im: AP