In order to inflict “fear” on people, Ukraine has accused Moscow of waging a “gas war” against Europe and shutting off supplies.
The Nord Stream 1 turbine construction project would result in reduced gas flows into Germany, according to a statement by the Russian energy company Gazprom.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, countered that this was mere “gas blackmail” against Europe.
For weeks, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which transports gas from Russia to Germany, has been operating well below capacity.
When Russia’s largest European pipeline was entirely shut down earlier this month for a 10-day maintenance break, there were worries in Europe that shipments would never pick up again.
Five days ago, shipments did resume, but with a lower capacity. nonetheless, Gazprom declared on Monday that it will be
This time, it said that in order to do maintenance, the gas supply would have to be reduced to almost half its present level. However, the German government claimed that there was no technical justification for doing so.
“A terrorist state needs Europe’s gas blackmail, which only gets worse every month, to make life worse for every European,” Mr. Zelensky declared in his nightly address.
He claimed that it was done on purpose to make it harder for Europe to get ready for winter, with no consideration for the potential poverty that may occur during the colder months.
The EU has also charged Russia with using energy as a weapon despite receiving 40% of its gas from Russia last year.
The most recent decrease in flows puts pressure on EU nations to further lessen their reliance on Russian gas and is likely to make it more challenging for them to restock their gas supplies in time for the winter.
On Tuesday, the European Union’s energy ministers will gather in Brussels to finalise a coordinated response to the situation.
The European Commission suggested last week that member countries reduce their gas use by 15% over the following seven months. Although the aim would be optional, the Commission might choose to make it compulsory in an emergency underneath the proposed rules.
Although some nations have objected to the concept, there is a massive demand on EU capitals to come to a consensus.
The possibility of Russia fully cutting off gas supplies to the EU has already been described as a “probable scenario” by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
The cost of wholesale gas has already increased since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, which has had an effect on consumer energy prices around the world.
Kremlin officials attribute the price increase to Western sanctions, claiming that they are a dependable energy partner and are not to blame for the recent disruption of gas deliveries.