Ireland’s deputy premier, Simon Harris, has described any potential European Union purchase of Russian oil and gas as “utterly despicable,” warning against allowing Russia to profit from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Speaking at a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, the Tanaiste stressed the importance of maintaining economic sanctions on Russia to help end the war in Ukraine.
Harris said: “The idea that Putin and Putin’s Russia would in any way benefit financially from a moment of conflict and pain and trauma in the Gulf region would be utterly despicable.” He emphasised the need to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf while continuing to show solidarity with Ukraine.
The European Union has been phasing out Russian energy imports since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly expressed willingness to resume cooperation with European customers amid an energy crisis triggered by Middle East instability.
Harris noted that a recent fall in oil prices highlights the volatility of the situation, with the Irish Government keeping its response under review. He called for greater European energy independence, stating: “I think we still find ourselves far too reliant on other parts of the world when it comes to our energy and certainly this needs to be a sharp reminder and wake-up call about the urgency of moving towards energy independence at a European level.”
