Driving alone helps Putin – Ukrainian MP
Driving alone is not a smart way to use resources amid the current energy crisis, so those who are wasting petrol are helping Russian President Vladimir Putin, Andrey Gerus, the head of the energy committee of the Ukrainian parliament, has claimed.
Speaking during a briefing on Tuesday, Gerus expressed gratitude for oil supplies from Western Europe and the fact that the situation at gas stations was stabilizing and, he hoped, will further improve. In June, Ukraine was able to increase fuel imports by 50% compared to May – up to 600,000 tons, Geros said. However, he argued, citizens should also be responsible.
It would be nice to cooperate and to have several people in the car. We can say that if you are driving alone – it means you are driving Putin. If you have a seat on the right and free seats behind it, this is not the optimal use of resources.
Gerus, who represents Ukraine’s ruling party ‘Servant of the People’, also revealed that at some gas stations there is a limit of 40 liters per car, and at others it's restricted to 20 liters. He pledged that in July these quotas would “either be raised or removed.”
The EU has faced an energy crunch over the past few months, as member countries have taken steps to decrease Russian energy supplies since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine.
EU officials have accused the Kremlin of using energy resources as a political weapon, claiming that the Ukrainian conflict is responsible for the soaring price of petrol and diesel, spikes in inflation, and the skyrocketing cost of living. Moscow has rejected the accusations, saying that the current crisis is a result of systematic economic policy mistakes implemented by Western leaders.
