London, Aug 28 – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in an article published this Sunday in the Mail on Sunday, blames Russian President Vladimir Putin and his “barbaric invasion” of Ukraine for the global rise in the cost of energy.
In the article, Johnson says that the coming months will be “tough” due to energy increases but that the United Kingdom will come back while assuring that the Government will announce another financial aid package next month, whoever is his successor -Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak- whose name will be known on September 5.
As he stresses, “it was Putin’s barbaric invasion that shook the energy markets,” causing energy prices to rise and aggravating the cost-of-living crisis in this country.
“It is Putin’s war that is costing British consumers (money). This is why energy bills are being doubled. I am afraid Putin knows this, and he likes it,” she said.
Johnson fears that some “soft” European politicians will not put up with the fight and will throw in the towel this winter, “withdrawing sanctions (on Russia) and begging for Russian oil and gas.”
The politician maintains that “in this brutal battle, the Ukrainians can and will win. And so will the United Kingdom. With each passing day, Putin’s position is weakening. His ability to harass and bribe is diminishing. And the British position is makes it stronger.”
Johnson remarks that this country “has more than enough resilience to get through the tough months ahead and has shown it before.”
“We have made long-term decisions, such as some on domestic energy supplies, to ensure that our comeback is remarkable and our future is golden,” he notes.
Last Friday, the British energy sector regulator, Ofgem, announced that the maximum price that energy companies will be able to charge households per year from October 1 has been set at 3,549 pounds (4,202 euros), compared to current 1,971 pounds (2,325 euros).
The energy rise responds to the increase in wholesale gas prices globally as the economies reactivate after the pandemic and due to the war in Ukraine.