UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has blamed rising cost of living for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, amid criticism of his government’s lack of response to the growing crisis.
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kiev on Tuesday, Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin had underestimated Ukraine as well as “the price the world was willing to pay to support Ukraine.” ”.
“And I come from the UK, where we are fighting inflation that is being driven by the rise in energy prices caused by Putin’s war,” Johnson said.
“And we also know that if we are paying on our energy bills for Vladimir Putin’s ills, the people of Ukraine are paying with their own blood,” he added.
Natural gas wholesale prices started to rise last year as countries reopened from their pandemic lockdowns, causing a global surge in demand.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February and the resulting energy crisis also drove prices higher.
But Johnson’s government has also come under fire for a lack of action to help people deal with the cost-of-living crisis in the UK, where energy bills have risen by 54% so far this year and are expected to rise further.
“It’s going to be really horrible for a lot of people,” Keith Anderson, CEO of Scottish Power, told STV, a Scottish TV station, on Monday, referring to the price increases.
“This is bigger than the pandemic. It is a major national crisis,” she added.
So far this year, the government has offered about $39 billion in support to families to help with energy costs, through a combination of tax cuts, energy bill discounts and direct payments, the Institute for Government said. in its report published on Tuesday.
But experts say more is needed.
Leaders at the UK’s National Health Service last week warned of a “humanitarian crisis”.
Many people may fall ill this winter as they “face the terrible choice between skipping meals to heat their homes and having to live in cold, wet and very unpleasant conditions,” they said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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