Policy
Russian gas flows into Sweden: "Support for Russian warfare"
Fredrik Björkman
Published 09.09
While Ukraine is fighting for its survival, the Swedish import of Russian natural gas continues.
Since the outbreak of war, Russian gas has been purchased for hundreds of millions - money that fattens the Russian war coffers.
- It is truly catastrophic, says MP leader Isabella Lövin.
Large parts of Europe were dependent on Russian gas, including industrial giant Germany.
New suppliers were hired and infrastructure rebuilt to handle the new situation.
For Sweden, the dependency is relatively small, but it exists nonetheless.
Efter Rysslands fullskaliga invasion av Ukraina i februari 2022 påbörjade EU omfattande försök för att
Just over two years after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian gas continues to flow into Sweden - and the flow is increasing.
According to Statistics Sweden's figures on the import of natural gas from Russia, Swedish imports increased by roughly 50 percent between April 2023 and April 2024 compared to the same period the year before.
This is about 88,826 tonnes of gas. According to Statistics Norway's import data, the value is almost SEK 411 million.
In the spring of 2022, the Riksdag gave the then S government an announcement that it must work to take measures to stop Swedish imports of Russian energy.
The moderates' Carl-Oskar Bohlin led the work of the nutrition committee, which put together the announcement. Now he is a minister in the M-led government which has failed to meet the target.
In March this year, the government presented the announcements that it considers to have been completed. This included the question of the Russian gas.
"Dependence on Russian gas in the EU, and thus also Sweden, has decreased sharply since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine," the government stated.
The government further writes that the line is that the EU should reduce dependence on Russian energy.
The government therefore considers that the case has now been finalized.
In February this year, Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M) answered a question in the Riksdag from the Green Party member Linus Lakso about the Russian gas in Sweden.
- Sweden's import of Russian energy should cease as soon as possible. Against this background, the EU should adopt sanctions against both Russian fossil gas and Russian nuclear power. We are discussing the conditions for this with other member states, the foreign minister said at the time.
However, Billström did not want to see a total stop to the gas from the Swedish side.
- As the questioner knows from previous debates, an abrupt, unilateral termination of ongoing contracts for the import of liquid Russian fossil gas would not be preferable, said the foreign minister.
- The Russian supplier could demand payment from the recipient and at the same time sell the gas again and thus earn twice as much money. We want to avoid that, he continued.
At the same time, the Russian gas continues to be shipped to Sweden. In addition, the amount of natural gas coming to Sweden is increasing.
The Green Party's EU parliamentary candidate Isabella Lövin believes that the government is defying the will of the Riksdag by considering that the matter with the announcement can now be considered closed.
- It is truly catastrophic. They go against what the Riksdag has said and money continues to flow into Putin's war chest, she says.
"Fossil friends and Putin friends are connected"
Isabella Lövin further says that she does not accept that the government only deals with the issue at EU level in consultation with the other member states.
The MP summit believes that Sweden must ban the import of Russian gas on its own.
- It is too weak. We see that the Baltic countries have already stopped the import of Russian gas and fossil fuels. Sweden can also do it, says Isabella Lövin.
What is more serious from your perspective,that the gas is fossil or that it comes from Russia?
- In this situation that it comes from Russia. Sweden continues to depend on fossil energy in car traffic and heavy transport, we must get away from that, but what is serious here is that it is support for the Russian war.
The MP now demands that the government immediately present a deadline for when Russian gas imports will be stopped.
- This shows that these issues are connected and you often see that those who defend Russia and the EU in the EU Parliament, the far-right, are also those who are friends of fossil fuels. Friends of fossils and friends of Putin are connected, says Isabella Lövin.
Aftonbladet has applied for Energy Minister Ebba Busch (KD).
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