- Russia has strengthened economic ties with the UK through deals giving shares of gas pipelines and oil companies to British companies like Shell and BP. This is part of an "economic war" between Russia and Qatar for influence in Britain.
- Qatar has also invested heavily in Britain, buying up landmark properties in London and investing in companies like Barclays bank. Qatar sells large amounts of liquified natural gas to the UK.
- This influence of Russia and Qatar has affected British politics, with the new leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn taking a more anti-American, pro-Russian stance that has concerned some. It remains uncertain if a strong alliance between Russia, Germany and the UK can emerge given Britain's traditional
2. I was saying the other day about the “clouds” over the Russian-Italian
relations due to the cancellation of the South Stream pipeline. The Italian
giant ENI had 20% of the South Stream, and the cancellation of the project,
together with the agreement for Nord Stream 2, are expected to adversely
affect the Russian-Italian relations. However the Russians gave 10% of Nord
Stream 2 to Shell, the English-Dutch energy company, and therefore it is
expected that the Anglo-Russian relations will be strengthened.
Moreover, Roseneft, the Russian state owned giant Rosneft, which is by far
Russia’s largest producer of oil, gave a 20% stake in the British giant BP. In
addition Centrica, one of the largest British natural gas and electricity
suppliers, which operates under the name British Gas and Scottish Gas,
agreed to buy from Gazprom 4 billion cubic meters of natural gas every
year. For relevant articles see Wall Street Journal “BP and Rosneft Sign
Production, Exploration, Refining Pacts”, June 2015, Gazprom’s site
““Gazprom, BASF, E.ON, ENGIE, OMV and Shell sign Shareholders
Agreement on Nord Stream II project”, September 2015, and Independent
3. “Gas imports from Russia's Gazprom giant to soar after new Centrica deal”,
May 2015.
“BP and Rosneft Sign Production, Exploration, Refining Pacts”, June 2015
http://www.wsj.com/articles/bp-rosneft-sign-production-exploration-
refining-pacts-1434710191
“Gazprom, BASF, E.ON, ENGIE, OMV and Shell sign Shareholders
Agreement on Nord Stream II project”, September 2015
http://www.gazprom.com/press/news/2015/september/article245837/
“Gas imports from Russia's Gazprom giant to soar after new Centrica deal”,
May 2015
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/gas-imports-from-
russias-gazprom-giant-to-soar-after-new-centrica-deal-10248692.html
I must say that in England and Germany the energy sector is run by the
private sector, and therefore the Russians have to give the shares to private
companies, contrary to what they do in Southern Europe, where they give
the shares to public companies. But that does not mean that the English and
the German politicians do not care about the routes and supplies of oil and
gas, and about the prices of oil and gas. Besides their geopolitical
importance, the oil and gas prices determine the production cost of their
economies, and therefore the competitiveness of their countries. As you can
read at the following Financial Times article, titled “BP shareholders need
protecting from David Cameron”, April 2015, the British center-right Prime
4. Minister David Cameron said that the English government would stop the
American energy company Exxon from buying the British BP.
“BP shareholders need protecting from David Cameron”, April 2015
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/2c803100-ecc2-11e4-b82f-
00144feab7de.html
The Financial Times are the best British newspaper, probably the best
newspaper in the world, and it is attacking the British government, since the
latter does not even have “golden” shares in BP. Golden shares give
governments certain rights. The reason the British do not want Exxon to buy
BP is because BP will become an American company, and will have to
comply to the sanctions imposed by the US government on Russia. This is
not the only reason of course. I must say that in the US the energy sector is
also run by the private sector. In the advanced countries the energy sector is
run by the private sector.
Moreover the Russian oligarchs have placed lots of money at the City of
London, which is the most advanced European capital market, and they buy
tons of political influence, as you can read at the following FT, Economist
and New York Times articles. Nigel Farage of UKIP is one of Putin’s great
admirers.
“Osborne warns UK on financial impact of Russian sanctions”, July 2014
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3c544fce-10f6-11e4-94f3-
00144feabdc0.html
5. “London’s Laundry Business”, March 2014.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/08/opinion/londons-laundry-
business.html?_r=0
“Prospect of tough sanctionson Russians hits City realpolitik”, του Μαρτίου
2014.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/787a89ea-af72-11e3-bea5-
00144feab7de.html?siteedition=intl#slide0
“Russia’s European supporters. In the Kremlin’s pocket: Who Backs Putin
and Why”, February 2015
http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21643222-who-backs-putin-and-
why-kremlins-pocket?fsrc=scn/fb/te/pe/ed/inthekrlemlinspocket
The Qataris, who are Russia’s number one competitor in the natural gas
markets, have made their own moves in England. The Qataris have bought
all the top properties of London, as you can read at the following Daily Mail
article, titled “How London is being sold off to Qatar”, April 2015, and at
the Guardian’s “How much of London is owned by Qatar’s royal family”?,
December 2014.
“How London is being sold off to Qatar”, April 2015
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3054272/How-London-sold-
Qatar.html
“How much of London is owned by Qatar’s royal family”?, December 2014
6. http://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2014/dec/09/london-qatar-
royal-family-regents-park-200m-palace-harrods
At the following Bloomberg article, titled “Qatari Wealth Fund Says Ready
to Boost Investments in U.K.”, February 2014, you can read that Qatar has
invested huge amounts at the British bank Barclays, and it also bought the
British super market company Sainsbury and at the Harrods. The article also
mentions the Qatari investment in the Credit Suisse bank.
“Qatari Wealth Fund Says Ready to Boost Investments in U.K.”, February
2014
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-02-12/qatari-wealth-fund-
says-its-ready-to-boost-investments-in-u-k-
The Qatar Investment Authority, which is owned by the Emir of Qatar, has
also made huge investments at the German Hochtief, at the French energy
giants Total and Areva, at France Telecom and GDF Suez, and many other
European giants. See “Qatar Investment Authority”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_Investment_Authority#Investments
Of course Qatar has been also selling tons of liquefied natural gas to
England, as you can read at the following Financial Times article, titled “UK
warned over dependence on Qatar gas”, January 2012.
“UK warned over dependence on Qatar gas”, January 2012
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/c403bec6-3f63-11e1-ad6a-
00144feab49a.html#axzz3mBeQphRK
7. Therefore there is an economic war between Russian and Qatar over
England, with Russia having the geographical advantage, and Qatar having
the advantage that England’s major ally, the United States of America, is
currently fighting a cold war with Russia. The more England cooperates
with Russia, the more she hurts her alliance with the Americans. During the
last decades the British have been counting on Europe to sell their products,
and they have been counting on their alliance over the Atlantic Ocean with
the Americans, in order to protect their borders. That’s why the English
political left has been moderate and pro-American.
However all this transactions with the Russians and the Qataris have deeply
affected the British political system, and the new leader of the Labor Party,
Jeremy Corbyn, is a man who claims that NATO should have been dissolved
in 1990, and he compares ISIS with the American soldiers. See the
Telegraph article titled “Jeremy Corbyn 'to apologise over Iraq war' if he
becomes leader, as he compares Isil attacks to America's actions”, August
2015.
“Jeremy Corbyn 'to apologise over Iraq war' if he becomes leader, as he
compares Isil attacks to America's actions”, August 2015
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/11815324/Jeremy-Corbyn-
compares-Isil-attacks-to-Americas-actions-in-Iraq-and-calls-for-political-
compromise.html
Jeremy Corbyn is a typical European leftist. In the struggle between the
Americans and the Russians in Ukraine they always support the Russians.
8. But they truly love the Islamists, and surprise surprise Qatar is one of the
countries which greatly promote Islamism in Europe. Jeremy Corbyn asks
for more Muslim immigrants in Europe and England. These Muslim
immigrants are recruited by Islamist clerics in the mosques which are built
by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries, who pay huge money to
promote Islamism in Europe. See“Islamic State militants 'smuggled to
Europe”, May 2015.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32770390
See also “Europe: Mosque Building Shifts into High Gear”
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3657/europe-mosques
Moreover the European leftists believes that by bringing many Muslims
immigrants in Europe they will become stronger, because these Muslims
always end up voting for the left.
The question is whether it is possible for an alliance between Russia,
Germany and England to be established. What can I say…The British
desperately need the cheap Russian gas, but after WW2 they have based the
security of their borders on their alliance with the US. Even Jeremy Corbyn
admitted that England would be less safe outside NATO. What is for sure
though, is that the British will not make things easy for the Americans.
