(New Forest East)
(Con): President Putin has not even waited for the gas to
start flowing through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline
before exploiting the stranglehold that he has been building on
the German economy. My right hon. Friend has already indicated
that it may be difficult for Germany to impose severe sanctions
against Russia if this invasion goes ahead, so does he not agree
that it is vital from our security point of view that anyone with
strong Russian or communist Chinese links should be kept well
away from our own critical national infrastructure?
The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend is completely
right. That is why we brought in measures to protect our national
security and our critical national infrastructure, and to ensure
that we are able to stop investment that we think would be
detrimental to our national security. I am afraid that he is also
right about the German dependence on Russian gas. We have to be
respectful of this, but the simple fact is that about 3% the UK’s
gas supplies come from Russia, whereas about 36% of German energy
needs come from Russian gas. Germany is in a very different
position from us, and its sacrifice is potentially very large. We
must hope that in the interest of peace it is willing to make
that sacrifice.
(The Wrekin) (Con): I
welcome the Prime Minister’s strong underlining of Ukraine’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity. Back in November, there
was no unanimity across Europe, and increasingly even across the
Atlantic, on the issue of Ukraine. That has changed over the last
few months through the good offices of the Prime Minister, the
Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.
The Prime Minister mentioned his conversation last night with
Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The Germans are a critical part of all
this, in respect of both diplomacy and defence. They are a key
international partner and ally. We can do it with the Americans
and we can do it with others, but it will be far more effective
if we do it with the Germans.
The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend is completely
right. I want to say a word or two in praise of Olaf Scholz,
because it was clear from our conversation last night—as I have
said to the House—how difficult this is for Germany. No one
should be in any doubt about that. However, it was also clear
that the new German Chancellor is determined to stand with the
rest of the west to maintain a united front. Among other things,
Germany has made it plain that Nord Stream 2
cannot go ahead—Germany cannot take part in it—if there is a
Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(Leeds Central) (Lab): The
military reality is that President Putin knows that if he invades
he will not be facing NATO troops, and therefore the sanctions
that we put in place have to be the strongest possible. Is the
Prime Minister not concerned, given the answer he just gave about
the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the fact that
discussions are still continuing about exclusion from the SWIFT
system, that we are not demonstrating determined, united resolve
at the very moment when we need the credible threat of strong
sanctions to try and deter President Putin from invading
Ukraine?
The Prime Minister: I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his
very important point. I think actually we are making a huge
amount of progress. I want to thank my right hon. Friends the
Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary for the work that
they are doing, because I think we are bringing together the west
on a very tough package, and that is what we need.
To read all the exchanges, CLICK HERE
