Scottish Greens energy spokesman Patrick Harvie said: “Every penny that flows through these supply chains helps to sustain an industry that is funding Putin’s war machine.”
Aftermath of a major overnight attack on Ukraine(Image: AP)
The Scottish Government has been urged to cancel a £1.2billion gas contract with a firm linked to Russia’s war machine, we can reveal.
The sprawling agreement with French energy giant TotalEnergies covers all major public bodies in Scotland with a similar £8billion UK Government contract powering Downing Street and Whitehall.
But four years on from Vladimir Putin’s savage invasion of Ukraine, campaigners have demanded the deals be cancelled.
TotalEnergies holds a 20 per cent stake in the Yamal liquefied natural gas facility in Siberia, which it uses to import Russian gas to Europe under long-term contracts which it says it cannot break.
Svitlana Romanko, Founder and Executive Director of Razom We Stand.
Dr Svitlana Romanko, founder and executive director of Ukrainian campaign group Razom We Stand said: “As the brutal war upon us in Ukraine enters its fifth year, it’s shocking to find Scotland is getting energy from a Russia-friendly business like the French giant TotalEnergies.
“Total continues to invest in major Russia energy projects, effectively helping contribute to Russia’s war funds.
“The people of Scotland have given us so much support, which we are truly grateful for. However, this news coming right at the time of the fourth anniversary of war feels like a stab in the back.”
The Scottish contract, which was awarded in June 2024, is set to continue until 2027. It is used by about 250 organisations and helps to power government and council buildings, hospitals, schools, universities and more.
Scottish Greens energy spokesman Patrick Harvie said: “Scotland stands in solidarity with Ukraine and has done so since the beginning of this war.
“The most important thing we can do to increase pressure on Putin is to isolate him and his gangster regime as far as possible.
“Every penny that flows through these supply chains helps to sustain an industry that is funding Putin’s war machine.”
Patrick Harvie of the Greens
It comes as devastating strikes on Ukraine’s energy system by Russia this winter have left millions without power during -20C weather.
Harvie added: “At a time when Ukrainian civilians are living through air raid sirens, displacement and unimaginable loss, it is entirely unacceptable for Scotland’s government to be tied into contracts with companies whose profits find their way to the Russian military. It is time for the Scottish Government to finally do the right thing and end its contract with Russian gas suppliers.”
TotalEnergies has condemned Russia’s “military aggression” against Ukraine. The firm says it “operates legally within the framework of the energy policy and sanctions policy defined by the authorities of the European Union and its member states”.
TotalEnergies has been the gas supplier of choice for the UK public sector since 2019.
The Scottish Government have been asked for comment.
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