Russia switches off Europe’s main gas pipeline until sanctions are lifted

Author: Editors Desk Source: Financial Times

September 5, 2022 at 09:55

Russian president Vladimir Putin. His spokesman blamed EU, UK, and Canadian sanctions for Russia’s failure to deliver gas through Nord Stream 1 © Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

Gazprom previously said it was halting flows through Nord Stream 1 because of a technical fault

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.

“The problems pumping gas came about because of the sanctions western countries introduced against our country and several companies,” Peskov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. “There are no other reasons that could have caused this pumping problem.”

Peskov’s comments were the starkest demand yet by the Kremlin that the EU roll back its sanctions in exchange for Russia resuming gas deliveries to the continent.

Gazprom, Russia’s state-run gas monopoly, said late on Friday it would halt gas supplies through Nord Stream 1 because of a technical fault, which it blamed on difficulties repairing German-made turbines in Canada. The German government and the EU has disputed the technical justification.

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