Nato chief says Russia in secret plot against fracking

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks at Chatham House in London

Russia is secretly working with environmental groups campaigning against fracking in an attempt to maintain Europe’s dependence on energy imports from Moscow, the secretary-general of Nato has said.

Speaking at the Chatham House foreign affairs think-tank in London, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia was mounting a sophisticated disinformation campaign aimed at undermining attempts to exploit alternative energy sources such as shale gas.

He said: “I have met allies who can report that Russia, as part of their sophisticated information and disinformation operations, engaged actively with so-called non-governmental organizations – environmental organizations working against shale gas – to maintain European dependence on imported Russian gas. That is my interpretation.”

Mr Rasmussen did not say what form the Russians’ engagement with the environmentalists took or whether groups concerned were aware that they were dealing with Moscow’s agents.

He said that improving energy security was of the “utmost importance” and required European nations to develop more diverse sources of supply.

“It also, in my opinion, involves the better functioning of the European energy market so that one single supplier is not able to able to blackmail one single nation,” he said.

Greenpeace dismissed Mr Rasmussen’s comments as “preposterous”.

A spokesman said: “Greenpeace had thirty of its people locked up in Russian prisons last year, threatened with fifteen years in jail.

“The idea we’re puppets of Putin is so preposterous that you have to wonder what they’re smoking over at Nato HQ.

“Mr Rasmussen should spend less time dreaming up conspiracy theories and more time on the facts.

“Fracked gas will probably cost more than Russian imports, there’s little chance fracking will generate more than a small fraction of Europe’s gas needs and it won’t even do that for at least ten years.

“Greenpeace has detailed plans for energy policies which would remove the need for any Russian gas imports to Europe entirely.”

Andrew Pendleton, the head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth, said: “We’ve consistently urged the Government to end our dependence on dirty fossil fuels from abroad by developing Britain’s home-grown renewable energy.

“Perhaps the Russians are worried about our huge wind and solar potential, and have infiltrated the UK Government.”

The Department of Energy and Climate Change said it will not be commenting on the matter.

Mr Rasmussen made the comments as he confirmed that thousands of Russian troops are amassing on the border with Ukraine.

Urging member states to increase their defense spending, he said the international alliance had intelligence that Russian forces were gathering and insisted Nato would “not hesitate” to take further steps to ensure security in the region.

The alliance chief said it was vital that members committed to investment in defense, as he revealed Russian spending has increased by 50 per cent in the last six years, while Nato allies decreased theirs by a fifth.

After a speech on the future of the multi-national alliance, he said: “I can confirm that we are now seeing a Russian military build-up along the Ukrainian border.”

He said that “at least a few thousands more Russian troops” are now deployed to the frontier and troop maneuvers were being seen in the “neighborhoods of Ukraine”.

“I consider this a very regrettable step backwards, and it seems that Russia keeps the option open to intervene further into Ukraine,” he said.

“I do believe the international community would have to respond in a firm manner if Russia were to intervene further in Ukraine.”

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