Spanish defense minister warns Europe will experience 'winter of great suffering'

AP Photo/Francisco Seco

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Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles warned that Europeans are about to experience a “winter of great suffering” as a result of the gas shortage, which was precipitated by the European Union’s sanctions on Russian gas. 

Speaking on Radio National, Robles said that Europeans are “going to have a winter of great suffering” adding that “In Europe, we have to work hard to be ready to deal with it.”  

During the interview, Robles referenced Russian energy company Gazprom's deliveries to Europe, which have been throttled. She said that the move to choke off the flow of gas was politically motivated by the Russians to hit back at European sanctions, but Gazprom maintains that the real reason for the throttling is because Ukraine is refusing to allow Gazprom’s energy supplies to run through its territory. 

Robles insisted that European countries must continue to support Ukraine’s war effort against the Russians, despite the fact that the impending energy shortage is a direct result of NATO and EU sanctions on Russian resources, as well as their efforts to prolong the war by refusing Russia an offramp,” Summit News reported. 

Putin “cannot win” insisted Robles. “I want to believe that the political forces will rise to the occasion.” 

During the interview, Robles said that many in Spain would find it difficult to support energy rationing, despite it being the recommended move for all members of the European Union by its leadership in Brussels. 

As a result of the energy shortage, European countries are imposing energy rationing in the form of temperature control, closure of public facilities, as well as turning off street lamps. Some states have even imposed rolling blackouts to reallocate available electricity to the industrial sector.