The Daily Telegraph

Putin denies using gas as weapon against Europe

- By Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow

VLADIMIR PUTIN denied using gas exports as a weapon against Europe as he blamed the failure to approve the Nord Stream 2 pipeline for the energy crunch.

In a rare in-person appearance yesterday Mr Putin dismissed accusation­s that Moscow was manipulati­ng the supply and cost of gas as “politicall­y motivated drivel that has nothing to do with reality”.

“Russia is not using any weapons,” he told an energy conference. “Which conflicts are we taking part in?”

Russia, the world’s biggest gas supplier after the US, cut down on the gas flows to European storage this year, citing an increased need for supplies back home, and stopped selling gas in the spot market.

Mr Putin warned Europe against trying to pin the supply crunch on Russia. “Let’s not play the blame game here as some of our partners do,” he said.

He said it was European politician­s who embedded “systemic flaws” in the continent’s energy system that “sparked the massive crisis in Europe”.

Gas prices have spiralled as Europe prepares for winter and its economy recovers from the pandemic. Moscow has been anxious to use the supply crunch to get Germany to issue a swift approval for Nord Stream 2, which seeks to cut Russia’s dependence on Ukraine for energy transit to Europe.

Mr Putin, who said Russia is ready to help ease the crisis, lamented that Nord Stream 2 hasn’t been approved yet.

“Tensions on the European market would have calmed down, and prices would have fallen if we were able to boost supplies in this route,” he said.

He also expressed worry about poor maintenanc­e of the Ukrainian pipeline bringing gas to Europe, saying that it might “burst open” if Russia were to boost the gas flows.

Ukrainian officials have said they have been investing in the modernisat­ion of the Soviet-era pipeline network, which caused Russian gas supplies through the country to drop by 17 per cent in the first half of the year.

Mr Putin yesterday berated Ukraine for complainin­g and said: “They could at least thank us but all we hear is insults.”

Russia has been engaged in a tug of war with Ukraine over gas transit for much of the three decades since the fall of the Soviet Union.

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