The United States' intention to continue imposing sanctions on the Russian energy sector demonstrates their desire to dominate markets and prevent any possible competition, Russian Ambassador in Washington Anatoly Antonov said.
"American officials will not let up. At any occasion, they threaten us with restrictions," Antonov said. "The conclusion suggests itself. For Washington, energy security is simply the desire to dominate markets, total subordination of satellites and stopping any competition. We doubt that such approaches are viable in a multipolar world."
Furthermore, Antonov pointed out that the United States has stopped hiding the true intent behind putting pressure on Russia via these restrictive measures.
"We are not talking about any mythical aspirations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, but about banal opportunistic and predatory ambitions," Antonov said. "There is a trivial scenario: if the Americans cannot withstand fair economic competition, sanctions are coming."
The ambassador also said that the US authorities are hypocritical when they talk about an existential threat from global warming and pressure other countries to abandon fossil fuels while the United States rapidly increases production of raw materials.
"They are hooking the allies on their own gas for decades to come. At the same time, of course, such a situation is not called 'unacceptable dependence.' This, they say, is different," Antonov added.
European countries’ transition to new sources of energy had progressed more quickly than expected, with Russia supplying about 40% of the European Union's natural gas in 2021 compared to 13% in 2023. That figure has since further declined.
The European Union has been facing inflation and a massive energy crisis as part of the post-pandemic global economic recession. The situation has further exacerbated against the backdrop of the Ukraine conflict and comprehensive Western sanctions against Russia, leading to supply chain disruptions and energy price spikes worldwide.
In May 2022, the European Union developed the REPowerEU plan, aiming to make the European countries independent of Russian fossil fuels.