Kremlin: More gas for Europe when Turbine returns
If its repaired gas turbine returns from Canada, Russia wants to restart energy supplies through the throttled Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline. “If the turbine comes after the repair, then that allows for an increase in scope”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, according to the Interfax agency. “The only question is why it wasn’t done that way.” Peskov once again denied that Russia was using its gas as a means of exerting political pressure.
It is not a question of imaginary repair work, but of scheduled maintenance. “We completely reject any hints or direct reports that the Russian side is using gas or oil as a weapon for political pressure,” Peskov said. Russia is fulfilling all obligations under the treaties. “And above all, Russia is capable of ensuring Europe’s full energy security.”
In particular, Russia can also guarantee that consumers in European countries will not have to accept constantly rising prices for electricity, heat and other things. The Russian state-owned company Gazprom recently drastically reduced gas deliveries through Nord Stream 1 to Germany – and also justified this with the lack of a turbine. German politicians then described this statement as a pretext and accused Russia of an “economic attack”.
Russia insists that mandatory maintenance continues despite Western sanctions over Moscow’s war of aggression in Ukraine. The facilities are serviced in Canada, which participates in Western sanctions.
The throttling of Russian gas supplies by Nord Stream 1 caused Germany’s largest importer of Russian natural gas, Uniper, to experience turbulence and called for state aid. The problems in the gas market could get worse. Annual maintenance work on Nord Stream 1, which usually lasts ten days, begins on July 11. The big concern is that Russia won’t turn on the gas tap again after the maintenance. (dpa)
