France accused Russia of supplying gas when Nord Stream stopped working According to Reuters

By Dominique Vidalon

PARIS (Reuters) – France accused Moscow on Tuesday of using energy supplies as “weapons of war” after Russia’s Gazprom (MCX:) cut deliveries to a major French customer and said it will close its main gas pipeline to Germany in three days. week.

European governments are working together to cope with rising energy costs for businesses and households and to fill storage facilities ahead of peak winter demand.

Western nations are concerned that Moscow is deliberately raising gas prices to try to weaken their opposition to the invasion of Ukraine, a tactic that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday called “crisis. economic father”. Moscow denies the allegation.

Nord Stream 1, Russia’s main gas pipeline into Europe, has been at the center of the dispute. Europe faces a further squeeze on supply this week as Gazprom shuts down pipelines for maintenance Wednesday through the early hours of Saturday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that technological problems caused by Western sanctions against Russia were the only cause hindering gas supplies via Nord Stream 1.

But France’s Energy Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said: “It is very clear that Russia is using gas as a weapon of war and we must prepare for the worst-case scenario of a complete disruption of supplies.” .

She spoke to France Inter radio after French power company Engie said it would receive less gas from Gazprom from Tuesday because of an unspecified contract dispute.

Russia has only pumped gas through Nord Stream 1 at 20% capacity and there are concerns that this week’s outage could be extended.

Asked if there was a guarantee that Gazprom would restart the gas flow through Nord Stream 1, Kremlin’s Peskov said: “There are guarantees that, in addition to the technological problems caused by sanctions, , nothing obstructs the supply.”

‘INSANE PRICE’

EU energy ministers will hold an emergency meeting on September 9 to discuss the crisis.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is getting ready to discuss a plan to cap prices on gas supplies at the European level, a source in Italy said, citing a message sent by the German Economy Minister. sent to colleagues in the block.

The source said Robert Habeck has sent a message to EU energy ministers saying Berlin is ready to discuss price caps at next week’s meeting.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has pushed for a price cap and has also called for steps to separate electricity costs from gas prices. Such a move would allow European households to benefit from electricity produced from cheaper sources such as renewables.

The CEO of German energy company Wintershall Dea said on Tuesday that current prices mean demand for gas will fall in the long term.

Mario Mehren told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Norway: “The price we have right now is crazy. It’s not what even a gas producer is looking for because in the end it’s not. , we will destroy mass demand for our product.”

Dutch wholesale gas prices by standard rose on Tuesday afternoon after an initial drop. Gas contracts for delivery last month were up 1.5% at 271 euros/MWh, off the all-time high reached last week but still trading at more than five times a year-over-year high.