On April 28, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special representative of the President of Russia for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, posted a message on social media platform X comparing the European Union’s efforts to address its energy crisis to a karate practitioner who knocks himself out by hitting his head against wooden planks.
The post included a video depicting a man in a black belt karate uniform striking his head on boards and collapsing. Dmitriev wrote: “Look to the end to understand how the EU is dealing with the energy crisis.”
Dmitriev also stated that oil markets operate differently, noting that U.S.-led blockades of the Strait of Hormuz would impact China. Escalations in the Persian Gulf region intensified following an unsuccessful meeting between the United States and Iran in Islamabad. On April 19, Dmitriev previously highlighted the EU’s inability to assess the scale of the energy crisis triggered by conflicts involving Iran.
Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on April 15 that the European Commission is studying measures to mitigate the consequences of the energy crisis caused by the conflict over Iran. The conflict started by the United States and Israel has already cost Europeans more than €22 billion in additional expenses for importing fossil fuels.
