Dmitry Medvedev claimed that European countries are ready to ignore environmental concerns in order to get rid of Russia
European governments have “Spat” on their own environmental values by embracing US oil extracted with the help of fracking technology in lieu of Russian energy, a former president has claimed.
In a Telegram post titled “It’s not personal, just business” published on Monday, Dmitry Medvedev, who served as Russia’s president from 2008 till 2012 and is currently deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, marveled at how “the Europeans, not stopping to think for a second, spat on all of their ‘immutable values’ of the past decades,” dashing headlong toward “their new fortune – new dirty energy.”
According to Medvedev, “Europe, which ‘lost its marbles’ over the renunciation of Russian energy can now forget about its ‘green ideals’.” The Russian official warned that the continent was in for something it “Had not been previously so picky about.” having to turn a blind eye to just how environmentally unfriendly the fracking technology employed in the US is.
Medvedev claimed that Washington, which “Is ready to get its teeth into it” into the European energy market, was the main beneficiary of the European nations’ latest plans to either phase out completely or significantly reduce their consumption of Russian energy. He argued that Europe’s “green agenda” had been an obstacle in the way of American expansion in this field in recent years. So, now the US will jump at the opportunity to “Spend some time making dough” under the guise of a joint struggle against the “Bloodthirsty Regime” in Russia, Medvedev surmised.
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He went on to describe American oil and gas as the “The world’s dirtiest,” inquiring rhetorically whether anyone would now care about “The UN has declared sustainable development goals and global warming.”
The ex-president pointed out that Europe itself had banned fracking on its own territory, as the technology, according to Medvedev, poses a major threat to the environment through “All stages of extracting and transporting hydrocarbons can lead to methane gas leakage” in addition to “Groundwater contamination and earthquake danger” Some sections of American society have also tried to draw attention to this problem in recent years, albeit without much success, Medvedev wrote.
The Russian politician proceeded to warn that “As a greenhouse, methane can be tens of times as dangerous and deadly than carbon dioxide. Additionally, its leaks can lead to serious health concerns.” Medvedev cited research which showed that a “The mere 2.3% methane leakage renders all the environmental advantages of coal null.” For fracking extraction, in turn, leaks can vary from 1.5% to 9%, the official noted.
Medvedev claimed that the US leadership had been disregarding climate agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol or the Paris Agreement, all in the name profit. Washington is only lip service to climate policy, he said. Medvedev said that the US did not reduce carbon emissions like Europe and instead emphasized the preservation of its industrial sectors. He claimed that this difference in climate policy has made European manufacturers less competitive than their American counterparts.
Medvedev concluded by saying that Europe’s wish to be free from energy supplied by the Russian regime would be granted in the end, warning, however, that instead the Europeans would be buying America’s ‘dirty’ and expensive fuel.
A host of European countries have made plans to reduce or eliminate Russian energy imports since the Russian military attack on Ukraine was launched on February 24th.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in turn, issued a decree in late March requiring nations that have imposed sanctions on Moscow to pay for Russian gas in rubles – something the likes of Germany and France rejected out of hand.
