Russia’s gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will not resume in full until the “collective west” lifts sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has said.
Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, blamed EU, UK and Canadian sanctions for Russia’s failure to deliver gas through the key pipeline, which delivers gas to Germany from St Petersburg via the Baltic sea.
“It is important to recall that there is not just one gas pipeline from Russia to Europe,” said Tim McPhie, the European Commission’s energy spokesman on Monday. “If there was a technical problem which was impeding supplies via Nord Stream 1, there would be a possibility, if there was willingness, to deliver gas to Europe through other pipelines. That’s something we’re not seeing happening.”
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chair of Russia’s security council, Medvedev said Germany was “acting as an enemy of Russia” by supporting sanctions against Moscow and supplying Ukraine with weapons. “They have declared hybrid war against Russia,” Medvedev wrote on Telegram. “And this old man acts surprised that the Germans have some little problems with gas.”
