Russian president, Putin, accuses Europe of terrorism over Nord gas leak

Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has blamed European countries for high gas price, describing the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines as an act of international terrorism.

Putin made the comment on Wednesday at an energy forum in Russia, amid disagreement among European Union members to decide a cap for gas price, as the commodity has risen 90 per cent in the last one year.

EU members couldn’t agree on a price to prevent citizens from being burdened by premium gas cost as winter approaches. Already, EU is struggling with supply after moving to reduce reliance on Russian gas due to Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.

Although Russia has also cut supply to the continent, and with the leak in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, the gas problem of Europe has been compounded.

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There are already talks of European countries rationalising gas, and also expecting power cut during winter. By the end of 2022, Europe plans to drastically cut ties with Russian gas, considering it accounts for about 45% of gas supplied into the continent.

With EU unable to come to a decision, Putin said Europe is to be blamed for the hike in gas price, citing EU’s green energy drive, which led to the reduction of investment in oil and gas industry globally.

Putin offered to help cushion the supply problem by switching its gas transportation routes from Germany, where its Nord Stream pipelines pass through, to Turkey. He also stated that EU is denying its citizens cheap energy due to the “act of international terrorism” on the Nord Stream pipelines.

“We could move the lost volumes along the Nord Streams along the bottom of the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea region and thus make the main routes for the supply of our fuel, our natural gas to Europe through Turkey.”

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