Russia warns of “European gas market crisis”

According to Fars News Agency’s International Service, Vladimir Chizov, Russia’s permanent representative to the European Union, stated that Moscow could increase the volume of its natural gas exports to European countries if requested.

According to the news agency SputnikEuropean Commission President Ursula van der Leyen said last week that Russia’s state-owned Gazprom was unwilling to increase gas supplies to Europe despite high demand.

“You need someone who has already expressed a desire to buy gas to sell it,” Russia’s permanent representative to the European Union said in response to a statement from the German president of the European Commission. “Furthermore, resources through the gas pipeline cannot be reversed.”

“Potential consumers in Europe are estimating costs at current prices, and they obviously think it’s better to get past the current jump (prices),” Vladimir Chizov continued. “Sooner or later prices will go down, no one doubts that.”

Russia’s permanent representative to the European Union told Sputnik that there was still gas in European storage, so the EU was deliberately waiting for Russia to request additional gas.

“If the winter had been tougher and stocks were running out faster, European companies would certainly have bought extra gas, even at high prices,” he said. “But so far, the winter has been generally mild, so there is no demand, and because there is no demand, there is no source.”

According to Vladimir Chizov, “The current crisis in the European gas market is a problem that will eventually emerge. “The root of this crisis lies in the European Commission’s policy of abandoning long-term gas contracts and turning to cash markets.”

“We have been saying for a long time (to the European Union and European countries) that this is useless,” added Moscow’s permanent representative to the European Union. “This is a market, there can always be significant price fluctuations.”

“Europe has seen gas prices rise over the past year and annual natural gas costs have more than tripled,” Sputnik said at the end of its report on the interview. .

“Prices started to rise last spring when the average * TTF * price fluctuated between $ 250 and $ 300 per 1,000 cubic meters,” the Russian media added. “In December 2021, the price of gas reached a record $ 2,190 per thousand cubic meters.”

Vladimir Chizov’s reaction to the European Commission President’s remarks comes as tensions over Ukraine continue between Russia and some Western countries. The United States and some of its NATO allies claim that Russia is preparing to attack Ukraine, and have repeatedly threatened Moscow with unprecedented sanctions.

Russia is the largest supplier of gas to some European countries, and recent tensions have raised doubts about the future of gas supplies to countries importing Russian energy products. This situation has also raised questions about the future of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project; A project that has been completed and is awaiting the necessary permits to pump gas from Russia to Germany.

* The price of Dutch TTF gas is the base price of European natural gas

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