Putin's envoy warns Europe of 'great disaster' ahead
Europe is being shadowed by an ominous threat of an ‘energy crisis tsunami’ ready to strike the region after a string of political shocks, according to Russia Today, as the Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev warned amid the upheaval of the US-Israel war against Iran that continues to disrupt energy supplies across the region.
Dmitriev issued the grim forecast on his X account on Thursday, 21 May 2026. The statement was a response to a Swedish journalist highlighting the latest German poll results in which the far-right AfD was almost equal in strength to the combined CDU and SPD — a phenomenon he called a political earthquake.
‘There is much more to come when the energy crisis tsunami hits the EU and the UK in the near future,’ Dmitriev said.
The political realignment sweeping Europe shows mainstream parties losing ground to right- or centre-right coalitions in recent years.
Since the US-Israel military campaign against Iran began in late February, global crude oil prices have risen by around 50%. This surge has forced retail fuel prices and wholesale gas to reach record highs. The Middle East conflict has worsened the energy crisis in European countries that had already slashed Russian energy imports since the 2022 Ukraine crisis escalated.
The energy shocks related to Iran have even forced the UK to issue provisional licences. The licences allow the import of diesel and jet fuel from Russia to stabilise markets disrupted by shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic sea lane is known to handle around 20% of global oil and LNG.
The decision announced on Wednesday mirrors a similar move by the US earlier in the week. Washington has extended sanctions relief for limited purchases of Russian crude oil by sea.
With the situation growing more precarious, several EU officials have called for restoring energy ties with Russia to cope with the crisis. However, the European Commission has insisted there will be no return to importing energy from Russia and will continue its plan to fully eliminate Russian fossil fuels by 2027.
Earlier this year, Dmitriev also issued a pointed remark about Europe’s dependence on Russian energy supplies, coinciding with forecasts that energy prices will remain high in the future.
‘The European Union will surely beg to obtain gas from Russia,’ Dmitriev said.
Dmitriev added that the bloc is at the bottom of Russia’s list of energy customers, noting that Moscow is actively expanding energy projects with other countries.