It's the oil and gas stupid! Until we start fracking, Russia will always win, says Farage

THE crisis in the Ukraine shows the power Russia wields by virtue not only of its military might and seat on the United Nations Security Council but vitally, through energy.


CRISIS No wonder Russia feels threatened by the EU s expanding empire says Nigel Farage CRISIS: No wonder Russia feels threatened by the EU's expanding empire, says Nigel Farage [EXPRESS]



We can see it clearly in the German reaction to the Russian invasion of the Crimea. 

To send in troops - particularly without clear markings on their uniforms - is in direct contravention of the Geneva Conventions. 

unlike NATO, the EU has a policy of ever expanding borders, regardless of riding roughshod over complex political and cultural situations.

Nigel Farage

Yet Angela Merkel has been reserved and restrained in her dealings with Putin.

This is because German businesses dictate to their politicians what action to take. Germany is a powerhouse because of her successful industry. 

Trade sanctions, seen by some as a pretty weak as a reaction to immediate military violence, will not be permitted by Germany because the impact and retaliations would force the shut down of half of German businesses. 

The crux of the issue for Merkel is the energy arrangement Germany has with Russia. Germany is linked directly to Russian natural gas reserves through the Nord Stream pipeline. 

ukip farage on friday, russia crisis, ukraine crisis, crimea crisis, germany gas imports, germany oil imports, kensington palace gardens TENSION: Cossacks stand guard at the entrance to the Crimean Parliament building today [GETTY]

Some 60 per cent of all German gas imports comes from Russia, as do 40 per cent of its oil needs.

Germany knows well what happened to the Ukraine previously when they defied Russia: all sales were closed off.

It is David Cameron’s policy to openly embrace Ukrainian membership of both NATO and the EU. 

But whether we like it or not, many former satellite states of the USSR feel closely tied to Russia and look to Putin as a strong leader. 

The make up of the Ukraine shows the pro-Russian East is much larger than the pro-EU West of the country. 

And with many Ukrainians speaking Russian and enjoying family ties to the global super power, it is no surprise there has been a backlash to proposals to tie the Ukraine to Brussels.

And it’s understandable that Putin feels threatened by the continual Eastward expansion of the European Union: he has an empire on his doorstep, encroaching on countries containing many Russian speakers and passport holders.

Before the Georgian offensive in 2008 Russia handed out many passports to strengthen its claim that there were large numbers of Russians living there. 

But the fact remains that the Ukraine is tied culturally to Russia and exceptionally reliant on her for oil and gas supplies. 

When the Ukraine and NATO were in talks, many countries in the Treaty Organisation questioned why Membership Action Plan was taking place since it was ‘a clear departure from the original purpose of the alliance.’ 


It’s something that Germany understands, but David Cameron clearly doesn’t. 

But then Germany also understands the importance if a secure energy policy which our coalition government and the Labour administration before them ably demonstrated they did not. 

We have under us a way of ensuring that we are not reliant on politically unstable - and often bullying - countries for our oil and gas reserves. 

Unlike those blasted windmills which smoothly transfer money from the poor to the rich by means of subsidies and green levies, fracking would provide this country with energy and with money which Ukip proposes to put into a Sovereign Wealth Fund, free from the greedy clutches of government departments. 

For while the revenues from North Sea Oil went directly to the coffers of the Treasury, we would follow the example set by Norway where today their fund set up to invest revenues from oil and gas is worth around $750billion, 150 per cent of the country's GDP.