France no longer receives Russian gas through pipelines. According to the French network operator GRTgaz, this has been the case since Wednesday and is partly due to the “interruption of the gas flow between France and Germany”. Italy also reports reduced delivery quantities. Russia’s Gazprom group had throttled its deliveries to a number of EU countries in recent days.
According to the AFP news agency, Italian energy group Eni also reports that Gazprom will cut its gas supply by 50 percent during the day. The reports come a day after French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi traveled to Kiev with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Politically motivated pinch off?
Gazprom officially emphasizes that the reduced delivery quantities are necessary due to a “technical” problem with the compressor. As a result, gas transport via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline recently had to be significantly reduced. This is the main gas supply in Germany.
“No technical justification”
While Russia’s official justification seems “understandable” to E-Control board member Alfons Haberl, the German economy minister suspects the cut in supplies was a “political” decision. In the warm months, the states would eventually fill their stores more for the winter. According to Habeck, there is simply “no technical justification”, but rather an attempt to drive prices up.
Refusal of the ruble also leads to a gas stop
Earlier, Russia had also cut off gas supplies to several EU countries that refused to pay their bills in rubles. In addition to Poland, Bulgaria and Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands are also affected.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
