Russian energy giant Gazprom announced on Thursday that it would stop using the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline connecting Germany. The cut was decided when Moscow added these infrastructure to the blacklist of the company that controls Poland.
This Wednesday, the Kremlin imposed new sanctions on the West in response to successive sanctions imposed on Russia and identified more than 30 companies with which it is severing ties. Among them is the partnership between EuroPol GAZ, Gazprom and PGNiG, which is responsible for the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline through Poland. As a result, this method of supplying gas to Europe is no longer used.
In the case of Gazprom ‘s German Gazprom Germania Gmbh, Russia also reduced its gas supply by 3%, making Germany the largest consumer of Russian gas in Europe. A reduction that will not cause significant damage, but which, according to Economy Minister Robert Habeck in a statement to Bloomberg, shows how energy exports have become Vladimir Putin’s “weapon.”
Already in April, the Kremlin government warned that it would cut off natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria in retaliation for not paying for Russian energy in rubles.
On Wednesday, Russian gas exports through Ukraine were halted for the first time since the start of the war on 24 February. The Ukrainian government has suspended a large entry point to Europe, which is running through the country’s east, and accuses Moscow of harassing troops occupying several cities in the region.
The closure of the Sokhranovka route is more worrying, as it could cut off a third of Europe’s gas supplies. As European countries are still dependent on about 40 percent of Russian supplies, it is more urgent to find alternative supplies.
In the European Union, Russia’s energy imports have sparked a debate that has intensified since the beginning of May, when European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen presented the sixth package of sanctions, which included a complete embargo on trade in Russian oil. A proposal that would move forward if Viktor Órban, close to Putin, did not oppose Hungary.
European acquis
In the face of threats from Vladimir Putin, Brussels does not rule out the possibility of a “complete disruption” of Russian gas supplies to Europe, and the European Commission is already outlining an emergency plan to curb the damage caused by a possible power outage.
As advanced I The Commission, led by Mr von der Leyen, intends to adopt a series of recommendations this Thursday on the 18th to mitigate the effects of rising prices and the reduction in the amount of gas available to Member States.
Measures include “reducing the demand for gas in the least affected countries for the benefit of the most affected”, ie regulating gas in countries such as Portugal to help those most dependent on Russian energy, such as Germany.