The energy crisis in Europe is about to deepen. Prime Minister Kiril Petkov‘s talks with the President of Azerbaijan were aimed at mitigating the effects of the upcoming harsh winter. It all depends on what supplies are agreed upon. Azerbaijan is a reliable supplier of blue fuel that can be relied upon. Dr. Iskren Ivanov, an expert on international security and conflict management, commented on the topic.
He told that gas comes into use not only in households, and therefore it is good to have clear calculations. The current two months will pass quickly, and after them we will no longer have the freedom to look for necessary alternatives. We need to have a back-up plan for the cold months, even if it looks like we have the gas we need.
We need „a clear and sustainable strategy on how to emancipate ourselves from Russian energy influence,“ the expert believes. He is convinced that this should be the number 1 priority for the current cabinet, as the crisis will grow more and more, and with it, inflation will move upwards. The consequences will be for ordinary citizens.
Ivanov believes that Russia will fully test „the readiness of the European project to exist“. Emancipation from it could not just happen in 60 days, it had to happen slowly and smoothly. But now we will shockingly pay the price. It will inevitably come to the need to save other resources as well, the specialist admits. Europe has realized that the integration progress is being distorted on its side, he added.
The expert also addressed the topic of war, pointing out that „Russia is the only nuclear power that foresees the use of nuclear weapons for offensive purposes“ and as long as there is no dialogue between its leaders and those of the United States, the danger exists and looms over the world.
Still, it’s too early to talk about World War III. The fact is that the European Union simply became a „victim of this war under provocation on the border with Poland or in the Baltic States“, Iskren Ivanov said in conclusion.
