Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that problems in Russia’s fuel market caused by Ukrainian strikes had not yet been fully resolved.
Speaking in an interview with Russian broadcaster VGTRK on Sunday, Putin said Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was dealing with the aftermath of Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure.
“Just the day before yesterday, we met and discussed this issue with the prime minister. Yes, not all issues have been resolved yet, but they are being resolved. The prime minister is keeping these issues under control. A special commission has been established,” he said.
Putin also acknowledged that the strikes had damaged energy infrastructure.
“Yes, of course, there are certain inconveniences for people, but the government must, of course, keep this under control,” he said.
The president said he understood Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s position on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
Tusk said Germany should not prosecute those accused of blowing it up, noting that Poland had lost potential transit revenue after the project’s route was moved from Polish territory to the Baltic Sea.
According to Putin, the original plan had been to build the second gas route through Poland, alongside the existing Yamal-Europe pipeline.
The Russian president said infrastructure for the planned route had even been built on Polish territory, but a decision was later made to lay Nord Stream 2 under the Baltic Sea to reduce risks.
As a result, he said, Poland lost potential revenue from the transit of Russian hydrocarbons.
‘Glorification of Nazism’
Putin accused the Ukrainian authorities of making “neo-Nazi ideology” a foundation of the state, saying this was among the reasons for Russia’s war with Ukraine.
He said Russia would not accept the “glorification of Nazism” in Ukraine, arguing that the country’s authorities honour figures who participated “in mass killings of Poles, Jews and Russians”.
Putin also pointed to Poland as an example of a country that, despite its strained relations with Moscow, has raised concerns about the “glorification of Nazism” in Ukraine.
“Despite the well-known Russophobia in Polish politics, the Polish authorities are paying serious attention to the fundamental foundations of today’s Ukrainian statehood,” he said.
He said Polish authorities had taken a firm position on the issue in response to public concerns.
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told VGTRK that Russia was not experiencing problems with supplies of diesel fuel or kerosene, with shortages affecting only petrol.
“Russia has no problems with the supply of diesel fuel and kerosene. Difficulties remain only with petrol,” he said.
