Moscow won’t resume gas supplies to EU until sanctions lifted

On Monday, the Kremlin blamed western sanctions for failure to deliver gas through Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Russia’s Gazprom announced last weekend that the suspension of gas supplies at Nord Stream 1 would be extended indefinitely, citing ‘malfunctions’ along the pipeline.

Russia will not resume its natural gas supplies to Europe, in full, until the west decides to lift its sanctions against Moscow, the Kremlin said, as concerns over Russian gas supplies continued to drive up energy prices.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, blamed sanctions “introduced against our country by western countries including Germany and the UK” for Russia’s failure to deliver gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

“Other reasons that would cause problems with the pumping don’t exist,” Peskov was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying.

Peskov added that Russia’s full resumption of gas supplies via Nord Stream 1 was “undoubtedly” dependent on whether the west would lift its sanctions on Moscow. “It is these sanctions imposed by the western states that have brought the situation to what we see now.”