putin condemns west over energy

Putin condemns West over energy
By Steve Rosenberg
BBC News, Moscow



Putin accuses the West, especially Europe, of double standards
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of whipping up fears over Russia's energy exports.

He said calls to restrict Russian energy to European markets made Moscow want to seek new markets for its oil and gas.

He said he constantly heard complaints in Europe that the continent was overly dependent on Russian energy.

The Russian leader made the comments after talks held in Siberia with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In a fierce defence of his country's reliability as a supplier of energy, Mr Putin said even during the Cold War, Moscow had always fulfilled its commercial energy contracts with European states.

When we hear comments like that, Mr Putin explained, we start to interpret them as threats to restrict Russian companies - it makes us seek new markets.

He criticised the reaction of some British politicians and businessmen who, in the words of the Russian president, had called for laws to stop Russian energy companies moving into the British market.

When foreign companies come to Russia, Mr Putin said, they call it "investment and globalisation", but when Russians go abroad, it is seen as expansion.

But the Kremlin leader denied Moscow had any plans to restrict energy supplies to Europe - the continent was, he said, a natural and convenient partner for Russia to do business with.