The United Kingdom will send to Ukraine another 100 million pounds (120 million euros) of military equipment, including Strastreak missiles and 800 anti-tank missiles. This was announced on Friday by the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnsonafter the meeting held in London with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholzin his first visit to Downing Street since his appointment last year.
The joint press conference began as it could not be otherwise with the condemnation of the atrocity committed a few hours earlier by Russia at the Kramatosk railway station. “I know that the UK and Germany share exactly the same horror and revulsion”Johnson noted. “It is a war crime indiscriminately targeting civilians. Russia’s crimes in Ukraine will not go unpunished,” he added. Scholz called on Moscow for “a ceasefire and troop withdrawal” to end the war. Johnson believes that there is nothing to negotiate with Vladimir Putin because it is impossible to trust him.
energy dependency
Both leaders agreed on the need to reduce the energy dependency of Russia, which in the case of Germany is very high. Almost half of the gas that the Germans consume and a third of the oil is Russian. A supply of such volume that it cannot be eliminated at a stroke without damaging the economy. In the British case, Russian gas only represents 4% of domestic consumption and crude oil and oil derivatives only 8%.
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The UK has already announced that it will stop buying oil from Russia at the end of this year. “It is not an easy task for any of us and I applaud the seismic decision taken by the Olaf government to move Germany away from hydrocarbons from Russia,” Johnson said. “Our dependency has been massive,” recognized Scholz, who affirmed that his country could end Russian oil imports this year. The gas will take longer. “It is something that we are changing very quickly and I think that by the middle of 2024 Germany will stop using gas from Russia, which is quite extraordinary.” The aspiration of his Government, he pointed out, is to ensure that electricity consumption is generated exclusively with renewable energies.
The UK, in coordination with the EU and the G-7, has also imposed new sanctions that include Putin’s daughters, Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova, 35, and Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova, 36. Their assets have been frozen and he has been banned from traveling.