Russian gas giant Gazprom has announced that it will drastically reduce Russian gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday July 25 urged Europe to “response” to Russia’s “gas war” by tightening European sanctions against Moscow.
“Today we heard new gas threats for Europe. Despite the Nord Stream turbine concession, Russia will not resume gas supplies to European countries as it is contractually obliged to do,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily video message, commenting on Gazprom’s announcement that gas supplies to Europe will again be drastically cut.
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Referring to the position of Russia, which had already cut supplies twice in June, he said the gas pipeline could not function normally without a turbine, which is being repaired in Canada and has not returned to Russia because of Western sanctions.
Since then, Germany and Canada have agreed to return the equipment to Russia, but the turbine has not yet been delivered. “Russia is waging an open gas war against united Europe. They don’t care what happens to people, how they suffer – from starvation from blocked ports, from winter cold and poverty… or from occupation. These are just different forms of terror,” said the Ukrainian president. “That’s why you have to fight back. Don’t think about how to bring the turbine back, tighten sanctions,” he concluded.
Westerners accuse Moscow of using the energy weapon in retaliation for sanctions imposed after the offensive against Ukraine. The Nord Stream gas pipeline, which connects Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea, is of strategic importance for the gas supply of Europeans, which are highly dependent on Russian energy resources.
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