Putin Tells Europe To Undo Sanctions For Gas: 'If You Have An Urge, If It's So Hard For You, Just Lift The Sanctions'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that if Europe wants more gas, it should lift sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
What Happened: While speaking to the media at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan on Friday, Putin said Russia had nothing to do with Europe's energy crisis. He blamed the EU for its "green agenda" causing the energy crisis and said the Kremlin would fulfill its energy obligations.
"The bottom line is, if you have an urge, if it's so hard for you, just lift the sanctions on Nord Stream 2, which is 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year, just push the button and everything will get going," he said, Reuters reported.
Nord Stream 2 was built a year ago and is laid on the bed of the Baltic Sea, almost parallel to Nord Stream 1. However, days before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Germany decided not to proceed with the project.
Following the invasion, Russian supplies declined, leading to soaring gas prices in Europe. Now, the escalating standoff between the West and Russia over the latter's invasion of Ukraine is expected to push sky-high European gas prices up even further.
Brussels has often accused the Kremlin of weaponizing energy supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions. At the same time, Putin's government has also blamed those sanctions for causing gas supply problems.
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