As Russian gas giant Gazprom curtailed deliveries to one of its main utilities and prepared to block flows along a major pipeline to Germany on Tuesday, France accused Moscow of using energy supply as ‘a weapon of war.’
European governments are rushing to find alternatives to Russian supply to stockpile for the winter as a result of skyrocketing energy costs for businesses and consumers.
Moscow is allegedly trying to undercut Western nations’ will to resist its invasion of Ukraine by raising gas prices, a strategy that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday labelled ‘economic terrorism.’ Moscow vehemently denies doing this.
Agnes Pannier-Runacher, France’s Minister for Energy Transition, told France Inter radio that ‘it is very evident that Russia is using gas as a weapon of war and we must prepare for the worst case scenario of a complete cessation of supply.’
After French utility Engie announced that it would start receiving less gas from Gazprom on Tuesday due to an unidentified contractual disagreement, she made her comments. View More
Europe has already been warned that supplies will be limited as a result of Gazprom’s scheduled maintenance on the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline from Wednesday to Friday.
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