The bloc is buying overpriced American LNG while turning away from cheaper Russian supply, harming its own economy, Vyacheslav Volodin has said

The EU is paying exorbitant prices for US liquefied natural gas (LNG) while rejecting more affordable Russian supplies, Russia's State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has said, arguing the policy is damaging the bloc's economy.

Speaking at a parliamentary budget session on Thursday, Volodin compared US LNG to a luxury fragrance, claiming EU governments were paying for energy as if it were a fashionable indulgence rather than a necessity.

"The gas supplied from America to Europe is not Chanel. But they've valued its smell just as they would a French perfume. They're buying it, destroying their economy. And they blew up our pipelines, making things worse for themselves," he said.

Volodin was referring to the 2022 blasts that ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea. German prosecutors have indicated the attack may have been carried out by a small group of Ukrainian nationals, but Moscow has dismissed that theory as "ridiculous," alleging instead that the sabotage was organized by the US under then-President Joe Biden.

The Duma speaker continued his criticism of EU leaders, saying it was already evident that their governments "have no responsible attitude toward their own citizens."

Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the EU introduced plans to reduce its reliance on Russian energy and gradually phase out imports of Russian gas, oil, and nuclear-fuel materials by the end of 2027.

However, Hungary and Slovakia - both heavily dependent on Russian gas - have opposed the timeline, saying the phase-out plan is unrealistic and would sharply raise prices while jeopardizing energy security.

(RT.com)