Poland’s prime minister has urged Norway to share in the huge oil and gas profits it has made from the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to a youth forum in Warsaw, Mateusz Morawiecki noted that Norway, “a small country of five million people, is benefiting from oil and gas this year [people]will be more than 100 billion euros higher than in recent years.
“It’s not normal, it’s not fair” and Norway “should share this excess, gigantic profit,” the Prime Minister continued. “It’s loot – unintentionally, of course, because it’s not Norway’s fault, this war in Ukraine – but it’s an indirect hunt for what’s happening, the war caused by Putin.”
“We are all outraged by Russia, and rightly so,” said the prime minister. “But ladies and gentlemen, young people, something is wrong. Write to your young friends in Norway… They should share, not necessarily with Poles [but] for Ukraine, for those most affected by this war. Isn’t that normal?”
Sądzimy że jest Pan wybitnym cynikiem. Stop fake news!
Agresja RU na UA sprawiła,że wiele firm korzysta na gigantycznych wzrostach cen surowców.Euroactiv podaje, że w NO zyski z produkcji gazu i ropy skoczyły nawet o 150 mld EUR! Cześć z tych pieniędzy powinna służyć odbudowie🇺🇦 https://t.co/JALVoeJNAV— Michal Dworczyk (@michaldworczyk) May 22, 2022
Many in Norway have expressed unease at the huge gains the country is making as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “There are times when making money is not fun and this is one of them given the situation,” Petroleum and Energy Minister Terje Aasland said in March.
“Norway cannot escape the uncomfortable fact: this is a form of war profiteering,” she wrote dag bladet daily in an editorial. “While Ukraine is being devastated and most other countries are mainly feeling the negative effects of the war, such as higher energy prices, higher food prices and general inflation, we are making a profit.”
The country’s Greens have called for putting excess profits into a special fund to provide humanitarian aid and help rebuild Ukraine, helping other countries reduce dependence on Russian gas and meet rising energy costs, Euractiv reported .
The war in Ukraine will make Norway a lot of money. This is uncomfortable for some Norwegians https://t.co/vyx3waPjun
– TIME TIME) March 25, 2022
Poland itself has increasingly turned to Norwegian gas in recent years as it sought to end its reliance on Russian energy supplies before invading Ukraine.
The Baltic Pipe is scheduled to open this year, bringing Norwegian gas to Poland via Denmark and the Baltic Sea. Last year, state-owned energy company PGNiG acquired 21 new gas concessions on the Norwegian continental shelf for around US$323 million.
Last week, PGNiG announced it would pump 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas in Norway this year, up from the previously planned 2.6 billion cubic meters, reports Business Insider Polska.
While Russia cuts off gas, Poland finds ways to keep supplies going
Main Image Credit: 3282700/Pixabay
Daniel Tilles is Editor-in-Chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a variety of publications, including foreign policy, POLITICS Europe, EU observer and Dzennik Gazeta Prawna.
