Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow is ready to resume gas supplies to Europe via a link of the Germany-bound Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea.
Speaking at a Moscow energy forum, Putin again charged that the U.S. was likely behind the explosions that ripped through both links of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and one of the two links of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, causing a massive gas leak and taking them out of service.
The U.S. has previously rejected similar allegations by Putin. Several European governments said the undersea explosions that ripped through both Nord Stream pipelines were likely caused by sabotage but stopped short of assigning blame.
The Russian leader has repeatedly taunted the West by raising the prospect of sending gas through Nord Stream 2, a political nonstarter for the German government and others.
“The resources that are coming into the European market are literally being sold at exorbitant prices, as I said, and this is increasing inflation all along the chain. It has already reached 10% in the Eurozone. Ordinary Europeans are suffering, as over the years electricity and gas bills have more than tripled and the population, like in the Middle Ages, has started to store firewood for the winter .’
Reaffirming a claim that he made last week, Putin said that the attack on the pipelines was launched by those who wanted to weaken Europe by halting the flow of cheap gas from Russia.
“The act of sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 is an act of international terrorism aimed at undermining energy security of the entire continent by blocking supplies of cheap energy,” he said, alleging that the U.S. wants to force Europe to switch to importing more expensive liquefied natural gas.
“Those who want to rupture ties between Russia and the EU are behind the acts of sabotage on the Nord Stream,” he said.
Plunging Russian gas supplies have caused prices to soar, driving inflation, pressuring governments to help ease the pain of sky-high energy bills for households and businesses, and raising fears of rationing and recession.
Putin said that one of the two links of the Nord Stream 2 has remained pressurized and appears to be ready for service, adding that its capacity stands at 27 billion cubic meters a year. He noted that if checks prove that the pipeline is safe to operate, Russia stands ready to use it to pump gas to Europe.
In addition, he did not miss an opportunity to attack Kiev again, saying that “for a long time it has been using terrorist methods, uploading its activities on the Internet and then disappearing.”
The Russian leader also said that Russia could increase the capacity of its gas exports to Turkey and eventually turn into a hub for gas supplies to Europe.
Putin again scoffed at Western plans to cap prices for Russian energy exports, saying that “Russia won’t act against common sense and pay the other’s welfare.”
“We won’t supply energy to the countries that would cap the prices,” he said. “I would like to warn those, who instead of business partnership and market mechanisms try to use con tricks and blunt blackmail, that we won’t do anything to our own detriment.”
