Ilya Kalenkov, General Director of European Electrical Equipment, said that sooner or later Europe will be able to do without Russian energy, but only at the expense of its quality of life and economy.
In an interview with Novosti Agency, he said: “When asked whether Europe is capable of living without Russian resources, one can safely answer that it can. But at what cost will this happen? Of course, you can burn wood in general and proudly announce that you have done without Russian gas. You can close your production or move it to America. Naturally, there will be less dependence on Russian gas, and there will be less need. But here the question is not to live without it, but to preserve the quality of life and the economy.”
The expert stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday, Friday, at the signing ceremony of agreements on the accession of new regions to Russia, that the United States is pushing the European Union to abandon energy resources and other Russian resources, which leads to a decline in industrialization in Europe, with the aim of “complete control over the European market. President Putin added that European elites understand this, but prefer to serve the interests of others.
Kalinkov pointed out that the price of electricity plays a central role in all major industries, be it ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, fertilizer production, and the automotive industry. Therefore, the sharp rise in gas and electricity prices makes the European industry uncompetitive. A complete rejection of Russian supplies will lead to the collapse of the European economy and the level of development of its industries, and then to an increase in unemployment and a decrease in the quality of life in the region.
He explained that there is currently no other energy carrier that can compete with Russian pipeline gas, adding: “Yes, there is a certain amount of coal in Europe, and even gas in some regions. But their volumes on the scale of the European economy are very small compared to real needs.”
And he continued: “Of course, over time, everything can be overcome, and a new reality is being formed,” expressing confidence that perhaps Europe will build a nuclear power plant, which will take 10 to 15 years. It is also possible to develop solar and wind energy, but this is only useful for an additional car and will not help solve problems on a large scale in the near or distant future.”
The expert concluded: “Perhaps they will reach some kind of agreement with the Arabs. It is possible that there will be important breakthroughs in the development of alternative energy and technologies. But, in my opinion, nothing good awaits the European industry above in the next three years. all and the European economy as a whole”.
Source: RIA Novosti