The reactions after the stop to supplies, while America promises aid
The stop to gas decided by Putin’s Russia casts a new, disturbing shadow on the conflict and on the European economy. Bulgaria and Poland, between confirmations and denials, found themselves with the taps closed. And gas prices inevitably rise across the continent. Methane futures, the benchmark for the price of methane in Europe, jumped 16% to 119.75 euros per megawatt hour, after hitting a peak of 24%.
Von der Leyen: “No to blackmail”
«Gazprom’s announcement is another attempt by Russia to blackmail us with gas. We are prepared for this scenario. We are plotting our coordinated EU response. Europeans can have confidence in the fact that we are united and in solidarity with the affected Member States ”. Thus in a tweet the president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen after the announced stop. “A meeting of the gas coordination group is underway, you announce in a statement.
Bulgaria
“Gazprom is in breach of contracts, having changed the payment scheme for gas supplies.” This is the accusation made by the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Kiril Petkov, against Russian society. «Bulgaria has secured gas reserves for at least a month and has not violated any contract with Gazprom, to which it paid for gas in dollars in April. If anything, it is the Russian group that is violating existing agreements, ”adds Bulgarian energy minister Alexander Nikolov, according to Bloomberg. “Bulgaria will not negotiate under pressure and head down,” said Nikolov, according to whom “it is clear that natural gas is being used as a political and commercial weapon in the context of the war right now.” The Bulgarian minister said that his country has secured gas through alternative sources and that at the moment there are no restrictions on consumption.
Poland: “We will no longer buy gas from Russia”
Poland no longer intends to buy gas from Russian companies. This was confirmed by the Minister for Energy Infrastructures, Piotr Naimsky, in an interview on Rmf radio, reported by Tass. The minister stressed that Poland had been preparing to give up Russian gas for six years. Naimsky assured that there will be no difficulties in supplying Polish consumers. “I can guarantee there will be gas, unless some sort of cataclysm occurs. Under foreseeable conditions, we will have gas supplies, ”he explained.
At a press conference, Environment Minister Anna Moskwa and Piotr Naimski, Secretary of State for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, confirmed that Poland is ready: the gas storage facilities in the country are already almost 80% full and PGNiG will import additional batches of gas from Western Europe, as well as in liquefied form from other sources, including the United States.
The extension of the application of gas tariffs for the population until 2027 was then announced: these are administratively fixed tariffs, and therefore may be lower than the market prices that currently apply, for example, to gas customers. industrial.
American aid
“In recent months, the US has worked to increase supplies of natural and alternative gas to those countries that depend on Russia” from an energy point of view. White House spokesman Jen Psaki said this, speaking of “a continuous effort” by the Biden administration.
The fears of Austria
Russia continues to supply natural gas to Austria “without restrictions” even after the stop for Poland and Bulgaria and will continue to pay in euros. This was announced today by the Austrian Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Verdi). Asked if there were any signs of a stop in gas deliveries to Austria, she said: “No, we don’t have these signals”, specifying that the Austrian energy group OMV will continue payments “in accordance with the sanctions via euro” . “The OMV is currently discussing with the supplier to process gas payments to Russia in accordance with the euro sanctions,” added the minister.
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