Ukraine calls on Europe to increase sanctions on Russia over 'gas war'

Nguyen Tien• July 26, 2022 07:02

Ukraine's president has called on Europe to increase sanctions on Russia for waging a "gas war" instead of seeking to return the turbines to Gazprom.

"Today we hear new gas threats to Europe. This is an open gas war that Russia is waging against a united Europe,"President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskysaid on July 25.

Mr Zelensky criticized Russia for not caring about people suffering from "hunger due to blockaded ports, winter cold and poverty". "That's why you have to respond. Don't think about how to return the turbines, just strengthen the sanctions," the Ukrainian president said.

Russia and the European Union (EU) have not commented on the Ukrainian President's statement.

Pipelines at a station on the Nord Stream 1 system in Lubmin, Germany on July 21. Photo: Reuters.

The statement came after Russia's Gazprom Group announced the shutdown of another turbine at the Portovaya compressor station of the Nord Stream 1 system after assessing the technical condition of the equipment.

Gazprom's decision willreduce daily gas shipments to Europethrough Nord Stream 1 to 33 million cubic meters per day, about 20% of the pipeline's capacity, from July 27. The German government later said there was no technical justification for Gazprom's announcement.

Nord Stream 1, Russia's major gas pipeline to Europe, transports about 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually to the EU, which imported about 140 billion cubic meters from Russia in 2021.

Gazprom resumed gas flows through Nord Stream 1 last week after a 10-day shutdown for maintenance, but cut flows to Germany by 60%, citing a shortage of compressor turbines being repaired in Canada. Berlin rejected Gazprom's explanation and believes Moscow is tightening supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions.

Many European countries are concerned that Russia could extend the gas supply cutoff in response to Western sanctions, disrupting winter storage plans and escalating the gas crisis in the region. Meanwhile, Russia says it is a reliable supplier, asserting that Western sanctions are the factor causing problems with supplies to Europe.