Russia uses old campaign to mock Europe for ‘self-castrating’ over energy

Power plants in Europe
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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press
Copyright Copyright 2026 The Associated Press
Published on 25/03/2026 - 12:17 GMT+1•Updated
15:53
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Is Europe “self-castrating” by refusing to go back to Russian energy, despite the war between the US and Iran
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson uses a 2021 Dutch energy campaign to mock the EU’s energy deficiency.

The war between the US and Iran has disrupted global energy markets, driven oil and gas prices up and jeopardised supply routes.

A key pressure point is the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major transit route for liquefied natural gas (LNG), which Europe has increasingly relied on since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The EU subsequently took steps to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels, turning instead to alternative suppliers such in the Middle East and accelerating the deployment of renewables.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, mocked the EU for having to “come up with ever new ways of coping with reality”.

In a post on Telegram that has 266,000 views, she said, “Rising fuel prices caused by American–Israeli aggression against Iran and Brussels’ energy self-castration are forcing people in the EU to come up with ever new ways of coping with reality."
She added that her comments were based on the fact that "a large Dutch company that supplies energy resources to the public, Energiebank, has suggested that people reduce the duration of their showers."
However, the campaign referred to by Zakharova – and upon which she based her statement – was actually published in 2021 and is therefore completely unrelated to the conflict in the Middle East.

The online initiative was developed by the Dutch organisation Energiebank as part of efforts to tackle energy poverty in the country
It offered 10 simple tips to help households reduce their energy consumption and lower their bills
These included recommendations such as spending less time in the shower, lowering heating by one degree Celsius, and drying clothes without a machine.

This advice was based on research conducted by the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in 2021
The study found that more than 500,000 Dutch households were spending over 10% of their income on energy, often due to inefficient energy use
Estimated savings were also calculated using 2021 energy prices, which further confirms the campaign’s original context.

The advice was intended to address these structural issues and not in response to a geopolitical crisis
In fact, the initiative reflects a long-standing European focus on energy efficiency and cost reduction rather than emergency measures linked to the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Energiebank campaign from 2021.

Energiebank
Though Zakharova’s claims are wrong, Europe is indeed bracing itself for energy further energy shocks
So far, European leaders have said they will not waiver sanctions on Russian oil and gas put in place after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022
This is despite the conflict between the US and Iran disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas shipments, through which around 8.7% of Europe's LNG imports now transits
However, the bloc is taking this as a challenge: it has strengthened gas storage requirements, ensuring reserves are filled ahead of winter
Is the EU’s Grids Package the answer to energy independence
Can Europe’s power grid shield it from the next energy shock?