Al Jazeera: We have with us Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt. Thank you for being with us.
We have noticed in the last year that there was a U.S. government [meant] to provide political and military support to Ukraine. What about the support when it comes to the energy field, especially that Russia recently targeted the infrastructure of energy?
Assistant Secretary Pyatt: So this support isn’t about just the United States. It’s really about the whole international community coming together to uphold the rules-based system that has created the basis for prosperity that respects sovereignty.
You make an important point about energy, and I was back in Kyiv just last month to see what’s happening with the Russian effort to weaponize winter. To try to use attacks on the energy grid to force the Ukrainians to compromise on their own desire to forge their own course for the future.
We’re working very hard with all of our international partners. With Japan, with countries of the G7 around the world to help the Ukrainians have the tools they need so that they can address the humanitarian crisis that Russia is trying to cause with its attacks on energy infrastructure. But this is really just one part of Russia’s weaponization of its energy assets that really began years ago.
Al Jazeera: We think that Zelenskyy asking the help of the US, especially in the energy, that this work has been done for him to go to [inaudible] for the US?
Assistant Secretary Pyatt: It was interesting, for instance when President Zelenskyy was in Washington, DC speaking to our Congress last month in December, he talked about how important it is for Ukraine to have the resources it needs to defend its energy grid and to prevent these terrible attacks that Russia is staging on hospitals, on power plants, on transformer stations, to prevent a humanitarian crisis that Russia has been trying to cause with this wave of attacks, including tragically what we saw this last couple of days with the attacks both in Kyiv, and then we’ve all seen these terrible images from Dnipro where one of the Russian missiles, a missile designed to sink aircraft carriers crashed into an apartment building leaving something like 40 people dead.
Al Jazeera: When it comes to energy the U.S. has always spoken about its commitment [in the field] with the use of energy as a weapon. Also Russia was doing that with Russia, doing that when it comes when capping the Russian gas. Europe criticized the U.S. responsiveness regarding gas and the supply to Europe and when it comes to the high prices, what is the U.S. intent on doing in the next year to support those prices?
Assistant Secretary Pyatt: There are two elements to this, and one thing I would point out is that by weaponizing energy the way Russia has, Russia has lost its status as a reliable energy supplier. You see that especially in Europe which was so closely tied to Russia over the years.
That is no longer the case. Europe has stopped taking pipeline gas from Russia which has caused a shock across global markets. Where we are today, Qatar has played a crucial role in helping to stabilize the international gas market through its LNG resources. We’re very grateful for the partnership in that regard. The United States also has mobilized our LNG resources.
But you see the consequences of this not just in Europe. You see it in Africa. You see it in South Asia. You see it in the rising cost of fertilizer. You see it in the food supply crisis. All of which goes back to the actions of the Russian Federation.
Russia, I think as we go forward, Russia is never again going to be seen as a reliable supplier, and that’s one of the reasons that our partnership with countries like Qatar is so important.
Al Jazeera: What about the United States that is required to reduce the purchase of energy by the European [inaudible], especially with this crisis where Europe is seeing the highest price?
Assistant Secretary Pyatt: Price is a function of markets. We saw a huge shock in the spring, right after the invasion as markets worked that there was not going to be enough gas to fill the gap created by Russia’s cutting off of flows to Europe. Now the price has come down. The answer to that is cooperation among gas consumers to manage demand, to improve efficiency, to accelerate the energy transition.
Ironically one of the effects in Europe of what Putin has done will be much more investment in wind and solar and batteries. But again, Qatar plays an important role as one of the world’s two largest LNG providers. I had the opportunity today at Ras Laffan to see the enormous investment that Qatar is making to expand its capacity to provide gas to the world market.
Al Jazeera: How do you generally see the progress we have when it comes to the sources of alternative energy especially after what’s happened between Europe and Russia, the supplier of gas and energy in general.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt: There are a couple of elements to this. The world is going to need a lot of additional energy of every kind. We want to see that that is done in a way that has the least effect on our climate, which means lowering the carbon footprint. You do that by shutting down coal power plants. And gas is playing an important role.
In the United States the major explanation for the reduction of our carbon footprint is the shift of power plants from coal to gas. More efficiency, more wind more solar. Again, what Qatar is doing with carbon sequestration, taking the carbon CO2 by product and injecting it back into the earth where it’s sealed forever. This is all part of the work that we have to do to protect our climate. We’re committed to do so. I know Qatar is committed. The United States is committed. And we all have committed as part of the Paris Climate Accords.
Al Jazeera: Thanks a lot, sir, for your input. It’s a pleasure to have you with us.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt: Thank you so much.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
