The West made a “terrible mistake” by continuing to rely on Russian oil and gas after the 2014 invasion of Crimea, Boris Johnson has said.
Writing exclusively for The Telegraph, he accused Vladimir Putin of using Russian energy supplies for “blackmail”, adding: “We cannot go on like this.”
The Prime Minister argued that banning imports of Russian hydrocarbons would “starve” the Russian president of money and “cut him down to size”, but admitted a “painful” period of adjustment was to come.
“As long as the West is economically dependent on Putin, he will do all he can to exploit that dependence. And that is why that dependence must – and will – now end,” he wrote.
Mr Johnson is expected to visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week in an attempt to convince Gulf states to release oil reserves to avoid price rises. On Monday, he spoke to the Emir of Qatar by phone about “ensuring sustainable gas supplies”.
There had been calls for him to intervene to secure the help of Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom’s crown prince, who has strained relations with Joe Biden, the US president.
In his article, Mr Johnson backed new drilling in the North Sea, despite Scottish government criticism, and vowed to make “big new bets” on nuclear power.
He also doubled down on making the UK a “net zero” carbon emitter by 2050, waving away Tory critics by saying the drive towards renewable energy was “not the problem”. But there was no mention of the return of fracking – an idea to which Downing Street opened the door last week, but which has split the Cabinet.
On Tuesday, hundreds more Russian businessmen and companies are expected to be hit by UK sanctions as a new law making it easier to take such action takes effect.
However, on Monday night Germany insisted on watered-down EU sanctions against Russia in a move that sparked fury from other members of the bloc.
On day 19 of the war in Ukraine, Russian artillery struck an apartment building close to Kyiv’s centre, killing at least one civilian, injuring more than 10 others and reducing the nine-storey block to a blazing wreck.
Ukrainian officials said the death toll would have been much higher but its air defences had shot down the Russian missile before it hit the ground, sending fragments into the building.
