American media: Gazprom will help Putin win the war in Ukraine
Kyiv, September 01 (PolitNavigator, Yuriy Kovalchuk) – Vladimir Putin’s main trump card in the Ukrainian conflict is the approaching winter, reports Business Insider.
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“According to the US Energy Information Agency, the population of Ukraine uses 40% of gas consumed and 28% of coal produced to provide centralized heating in cities. In less than 4 months, winter will come to Ukraine. With coal mines in the eastern part of the country ravaged by military action, Ukrainians could begin to freeze in their homes once Russian gas supplies are depleted. Therefore, if the rebels do not achieve their goal, Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, will still help Putin win the war,” the publication writes.
Business Insider quotes Vladimir Putin's Sunday speech: “I think no one except Russia is thinking about winter in Ukraine anymore. And the problem needs to be solved. Immediately stop hostilities and begin restoring the necessary infrastructure. We need to replenish reserves, carry out the necessary repairs and prepare for the heating season.”
According to the publication, these words of the Russian president can be interpreted as a hidden threat, signaling that if the Ukrainian army does not surrender to the separatists (and the Russian soldiers hiding among them), then Moscow will use gas as a weapon.
"When winter comes and Ukraine's gas reserves run out, Putin could take over," Business Insider writes.
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