Europe is its own enemy in Ukraine

Simon Johnson

RUSSIAN Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently accused the West of fighting a proxy war in Ukraine. This is inaccurate and misleading. In fact, the West is supporting both sides of this conflict – and Russia is by far the main beneficiary. Since launching its invasion, Russia has received over 50 billion euros (S$72.8 billion) from Europe, more than 10 times what the West has provided in cash and equipment to Ukraine.

Europe is fighting a war against itself in Ukraine, and the only way to end it is to stop all oil imports from Russia immediately for at least 45 days, and perhaps longer, and to allow them to resume only under a properly structured system of sanctions that includes tight restrictions. International Energy Agency members have about 1.5 billion barrels of emergency fuel supplies – more than enough to manage the transition.