Moscow exploits energy issue to put pressure on EU to convince Kyiv to find compromise with Russia - Andreas Umland

On the air of the All about Ukraine program, Andreas Umland, an analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies, talked about the operation of Ukraine's energy system under constant Russian fire, blackouts in European countries, and whether the EU is ready for the possible evacuation of 3 million Kyivans

Massive missile attacks by the Russian forces on the Ukrainian energy system may provoke a new wave of refugees to Europe. Analyst Andreas Umland says that Moscow's strategy is aimed at putting pressure on the EU with a large flow of migrants.

“What we see here is a repetition of what Putin did a few years ago in Syria, where he generated this flow of immigrants to the European Union by bombing. Thereby pressuring the EU, and then generating support for parties that were pro-Russian back then. So, from the Russian point of view, that strategy certainly makes sense,” he said. 

Answering a question about whether European countries should prepare for possible blackouts and shutdowns, an analyst at the Stockholm Center for Eastern European Studies said that despite isolated cases, “there is no real energy danger for the EU.”

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