Putin criticizes Germany's Nord Stream decision amid gas dispute
During a meeting with representatives of foreign news agencies, Russian leader Vladimir Putin argued that he does not understand Europe's decision to give up on Russian gas, particularly pointing out Germany. However, he emphasized that Russia and Gazprom will survive.
According to Vladimir Putin, there is no logic in Germany's decision to stop receiving gas from Russia through the Nord Stream pipeline. “I do not understand Germany's refusal,” noted the Russian president.
There is no formal logic in this, I do not understand it. Well, fine, we will survive, Gazprom will survive. But Europe needs gas. It has to buy liquefied natural gas, which is transported across the ocean at inflated prices,” he said during a meeting with representatives of foreign news agencies, as reported by Kommersant.
Russian Gazprom, following Russia's armed attack on Ukraine, lost the European market as a result of both its steps to limit transmission and Western sanctions.
Russian expert Konstantin Simonov, cited by the "Financial Times," emphasized that Gazprom has already lost more than 80% of the European market. At the same time, Europe has already debated over completely giving up on Russian gas deliveries by 2028.
Before the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Gazprom was supplying 35% of the gas imported by European Union member states. Thanks to this, Vladimir Putin's regime could utilize energy blackmail against the EU, attempting to prevent aid from being given to the defending Ukrainians.
