Russian bullying over oil is ‘a wake-up call’

Russia’s use of energy supplies as a political weapon should be a wake-up call to Britain and the West to deal urgently with the threat, senior Conservatives said last night.

Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, stepped up Tory calls for a Nato-style “energy pact” after Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled energy giant, forced the pro-Western former Soviet republic of Georgia to accept a doubling of gas prices.
“While the West has been focused on the Middle East, we have seen the resurgence of Russian nationalism and a willingness to use natural resources as a political weapon,” he said. “Given the nature of Russia’s political leadership, this is hardly surprising. Following events in Ukraine, and now Georgia, it is high time for a wake-up call to western politicians. We have been warned.”

Georgia declared the price increase “unacceptable” and “politically motivated” but was forced to accept when Russia threatened to cut off supplies. Last night the president of Azerbaijan, another former Soviet republic that is being asked to pay twice the price for its gas, accused the Russian company of “ugly” behaviour and said his country would not be bullied into accepting. President Ilham Aliev said that if Moscow insisted on doubling the price of gas to $230 (