Russia cuts again the shipment of gas to Europe through the Nord Stream

The German Government sees a “political intention” in the reduction of gas supply to Europe from the Russian giant Gazprom through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, in addition to a strategy designed to provoke an increase in prices.

“I have the impression that what happened yesterday responds to political decisions, not technical issues,” said the Minister of Economy and Climate, the green Robert Habek, in a reaction to the first 40% reduction announced yesterday by the Russian gas giant.

“It should be in the head of (Vladimir Putin, and luckily I don’t have these capabilities, to know. Maybe that’s the case, maybe not, it’s mere speculation,” added Habeck, with the rank of deputy chancellor in the Social Democrat government. Olaf Scholz.

Asked about the same issue, the government spokesman, Steffen Hebestreitlimited himself to responding that Chancellor Scholz “shares the opinion” of his minister.

Both statements, by the minister and the foreign minister’s spokesman, occurred when the following announcement of a 33% reduction had not yet been released from Moscow this Thursday. “for technical reasons” of gas supplies to Europe.

“The current information clearly shows the reasons of the Russian side. Behind a clear strategy, aimed at causing insecurity to raise prices,” Habeck added in a statement released after learning that the reduction will be even greater.

The Executive of Berlin already assured yesterday, after announcing on the part of Gazprom that first cut, that the security of the supply was guaranteed. “We are observing the situation and analyzing the facts. The security of supply is currently still guaranteed,” said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Economy and Climate in a brief statement.

This Wednesday, before knowing the following announcement of an even more drastic reduction on the part of Gazpromthe Federal Network Agency reported that it did not perceive “a causal relationship” between that cut and the technical problems that the Russian giant alluded to for its decision.

Gazprom assured on Tuesday that the 40% reduction in the volume of gas supplied to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline due to the delay in repairs by the German technology and industrial group Siemens, which joined the Western sanctions against Russia.

In its statement today, the Russian state-owned company explains that the operation of another Siemens gas turbine engine in the Leningrad region has been stopped, which motivates this next reduction.