Support The Moscow Times!

Putin Blames Europe for Gas Price Crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin hit back at claims Russia was intentionally limiting supplies to Europe. kremlin.ru

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Europe was to blame for the current energy crisis after soaring gas prices spurred accusations that Moscow is withholding supplies to pressure the West.

"They've made mistakes," Putin said in a televised meeting with Russian energy officials.

He said that one of the factors influencing the prices was the termination of "long-term contracts" in favour of the spot market.

"It turned out, and today this is absolutely obvious, that this policy is wrong," Putin said. 

European and U.K. gas prices surged Wednesday by more than 25%, energized by soaring demand before the northern hemisphere winter.

Critics have accused Moscow of intentionally limiting gas supplies to Europe in an effort to hasten the launch of Nord Stream 2, a controversial pipeline connecting Russia with Germany.

Earlier on Wednesday, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied those claims.

"First and foremost — we don't just think — we insist that Russia does not and cannot have any role in what is going on in the European gas market," Peskov told reporters.

"Russia has fulfilled, is fulfilling and will continue to responsibly fulfil all of its obligations under existing contracts," Peskov said.

Russian energy giant Gazprom announced last month that the 10-billion-euro ($12 billion) pipeline had been completed and the Kremlin has said its launch will help combat the energy crisis in Europe. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more