Russia Claims Europe Needs Its Oil and Gas Amidst Global Energy Crisis

Kathmandu. The Russian administrative center Kremlin has claimed that Russian oil supply is essential for Europe to escape the energy crisis.

Kremlin economist Kirill Dimitriev told AFP on Thursday, "The energy crisis caused by the war in the Middle East has also affected Europe, and for its solution, Europe must have the flow of Russian oil and gas."

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Western countries (European countries) have announced economic sanctions against Russia, adopting a path to manage fuel as an alternative to Russian energy.

Despite the announcement of sanctions by European countries, they have continued to purchase Russian gas (especially cooking gas) implicitly.

The price increase due to the US-Israel war against Iran and Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has prompted some countries, including the United States and Britain, to relax some sanctions on Russian oil.

Economic envoy Dimitriev told AFP on the sidelines of an event at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), "The world is on the brink of a serious energy crisis due to instability in the Middle East."

He said, "Europe must choose partnership with Russia to overcome this crisis, and it is necessary to restore the flow of both oil and gas from Russia."

Analysts say, "The EU has imported more Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the first quarter of 2026 than in any period after 2022. Russia is the second largest supplier to the European bloc."

Europe plans to ban imports of Russian gas from next year, especially in protest of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and has rejected calls to relax existing sanctions.

The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has called for more pressure on Moscow. She told AFP in Brussels on Wednesday, "We have not yet seen the Russian side willing to negotiate to end the war."

However, Russia has sensed an opportunity to relax or ignore sanctions amidst the crisis.

At the beginning of the war in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin had said that he was ready to supply oil and gas if European countries committed to 'stable and steady cooperation' with Moscow.

Russia has increased its energy sales to China and India since 2022. It often sells fuel at a discount globally.