(MENAFN) Vyacheslav Volodin, the Speaker of Russia’s State Duma, has criticized the European Union for paying excessively high prices for US liquefied natural gas (LNG) while rejecting more affordable supplies from Russia.

Volodin claimed that this policy is causing harm to the EU’s economy.

His comments came during a parliamentary budget session on Thursday, where he drew a comparison between the US LNG and a luxury fragrance, suggesting that EU governments are treating energy as a discretionary indulgence rather than a basic necessity.

Volodin explained that the gas imported from the US should not be equated with a prestigious item like "Chanel," but the EU has been treating it as if it were a high-end perfume.

He accused European leaders of purchasing this expensive energy at the cost of their own economic stability, highlighting that they were "destroying their economy."

Volodin also referenced the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, which connect Russia and Germany beneath the Baltic Sea, as a further example of how European actions are exacerbating their situation.

The 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines remain a contentious issue.

German prosecutors have suggested that a group of Ukrainian nationals may have been responsible, but Russia has rejected this theory, calling it “ridiculous.”

Moscow has instead pointed the finger at the United States, alleging that the sabotage was orchestrated by the US government under President Joe Biden’s leadership.

Further expressing his discontent, Volodin criticized EU leaders, claiming that it was already clear that they were not acting responsibly toward their own citizens by prioritizing such energy policies.

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