Russia-Ukraine dialogue stalls, NATO raises concerns about European energy security

RUKLA, KOMPAS.com – Head NATO say Europe it needs to diversify its energy supply, after Britain warned it was “very likely” Russia, as the continent’s largest supplier of natural gas, wants to attack Ukraine.

The European Union relies on Russia for about a third of its gas supply. As a result, any disruption will exacerbate the already ongoing energy crisis due to supply shortages.

Also read: No Weapons, Ukrainian Amateur Troops Practice War with Wooden “Rifles”

“We are concerned about the fragile energy situation in Europe because it is too dependent on one natural gas supplier. That’s why NATO allies agree that we need to work and focus on supply diversification,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday (30/1/2022). Al Jazeera.

Tensions escalated when Russia amassed about 120,000 troops on the Ukrainian border.

Moscow demanded that the Western defense alliance withdraw troops and weapons from Eastern Europe, and bar Ukraine, a former Soviet state, from joining NATO.

Stoltenberg said NATO has no plans to deploy combat troops to non-NATO Ukraine if that happens invasion Russia, adding “we are focused on providing support”.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Russia to withdraw its troops and resume dialogue with the West if it was “serious” about reducing tensions.

“Diplomacy is the only responsible way,” Kuleba tweeted.

Map of Europe with gas pipeline networks, data on winners and losers from the Nord Stream 2 project, and graphs showing European Union imports of natural gas and its energy dependence pic.twitter.com/rjklYrDi0T

– AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 24, 2021

Also read: Admired the Heroic Spirit of General Sudirman, Ukraine Creates Special Stamps

‘We don’t want war’

Moscow denied plans to attack but said Sunday it would ask NATO to clarify whether it intends to implement its key security commitments, having previously said the alliance’s response to its demands was insufficient.

“If they don’t intend to do it, then they have to explain why,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on state television. “This will be a key question in determining our future proposals.”

The head of Russia’s Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, also rejected Western warnings about the invasion.

“Right now, they are saying that Russia is threatening Ukraine – that’s absolutely ridiculous,” he was quoted as saying by state news agency Tass. “We don’t want war and we don’t need it at all.”

However, that did not stop Canada from announcing a temporary withdrawal of non-essential personnel from its embassy in Ukraine, but said the embassy would remain open.

Also read: Facing Russian Threat, Ukraine Increases Reserve Force To 130,000 People

Get updates news of choice and breaking news every day from Kompas.com. Let’s join the Telegram group “Kompas.com News Update”, how to click the link https://t.me/kompascomupdate, then join. You must first install the Telegram application on your cellphone.–