By Staff, Agencies

The EU is paying exorbitant prices for US liquefied natural gas [LNG], while rejecting more affordable Russian supplies, Russia’s State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has said, arguing the policy is damaging the bloc’s economy.

Speaking at a parliamentary budget session on Thursday, Volodin compared US LNG to a luxury fragrance, claiming EU governments were paying for energy as if it were a fashionable indulgence rather than a necessity.

“The gas supplied from America to Europe is not Chanel. But they’ve valued its smell just as they would a French perfume. They’re buying it, destroying their economy. And they blew up our pipelines, making things worse for themselves,” he said.

Volodin referred to the 2022 Nord Stream blasts, which Germany blames on Ukrainians, but Russia accuses the US of orchestrating.

The Duma speaker continued his criticism of EU leaders, saying it was already evident that their governments “have no responsible attitude toward their own citizens.” 

After the 2022 Ukraine conflict, the EU planned to phase out Russian energy by 2027, but Hungary and Slovakia opposed, citing price hikes and energy risks.