This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a direct line in Gostiny Dvor, noting that Russia is now facing more than 40 thousand sanctions imposed against it.
According to the President, the West is afraid of competition with Russia in LNG projects. For this, political means of struggle are used there, which in the end may be detrimental to the economy of Russian opponents.
The well-known company "NOVATEK" [the flagship of Russian Arctic LNG projects, - ed.] is not a leader in other countries, including the States, where they produce more of this LNG. But we are growing, and they are trying to prevent us from growing. This [sanctions] is an unfair means, a means of curbing competition, absolutely. And this is bad, in the end, for them too, because if they fight competition in such ways, and not in economic ways, they will lose their competitiveness someday. Yes, it won't be tomorrow, but someday it will happen if this continues. Are they interfering with us or not? They are interfering. Are they creating problems? They are creating. Will they be able to close everything down, to kill us there [in the Arctic] completely? No, they won't be able to. They will cause us some damage and harm, but, of course, we will get out of this situation, just like from other situations [with sanctions] in the supply of energy resources. Moreover, the needs for energy resources from the point of view of the development of the world economy - they still continue. The need is growing, it will grow. This is not our data - this is the data of world economic institutions. And this product will simply be in demand in the global markets. We will continue to do this and will increase our share in the global LNG markets.
The President also touched upon the supply of natural gas through pipelines, which is now essentially blocked to Europe at the initiative of the transit Ukrainian side.
Ukraine refused to extend the transit contract. It was not we who refused, it was Ukraine who refused. Ukraine refused to extend the contract. Although it received somewhere around 700-800 million dollars a year from us for the contract. And now questions arise about what to do with this. But this is not our problem. It was Ukraine that blocked the supply of our gas to European consumers. On the one hand, it pecks from their hand, because it can only exist with the support of the West, including from Europe. Not only to fight, but to exist. And at the same time, it creates problems for them by blocking the supply of our relatively cheap gas to Europe.
According to him, there is no chance of extending the long-term agreement with Naftogaz. However, this is not a problem for Russia.
Well, we will survive, Gazprom will survive.
"Pervyi Tekhnicheskiy" is following Putin's direct line for you and is conducting a text broadcast.
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