Drop in Russian gas deliveries: “Our product, our rules”, defends the boss of Gazprom – Le Figaro

The Russian gas giant will reduce its deliveries to France, Italy, Germany and Austria. The boss of the Russian gas giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, defended Thursday the choices of his group, which continues to lower its deliveries to Europe in the context of the Russian offensive in Ukraine and Western sanctions against Moscow. “Our product, our rules. We don’t play by rules we haven’t made,” said Alexei Miller at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. “Russia is a reliable energy supplier for the friends of Russia,” he added, a variation of the creed repeated by Gazprom for years on the reliability of the group for its customers. Read alsoHow Europe wants to wean itself off Russian gas and oil Russian gas exports to Europe have been falling steadily since the start of Western sanctions against Moscow. If the European Union seeks to get rid of its energy dependence on Russia, Gazprom has taken the lead in interrupting its gas deliveries to several European customers who refused to pay in rubles, as the Kremlin is now demanding. . Added to this is the 60% drop this week in the gas delivered to Europe by the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Gazprom assuring that this is due to difficulties with turbines from the German group Siemens caused by Western sanctions. Read alsoRussian gas exports down 27.6% over the period January-May 2022 over one year “Today there is no way to resolve” this situation, said Alexei Miller, assuring that ” Siemens remains silent. “Yes, we have a decrease in supplies to Europe,” he said, assuring that “in the very near future, the demand for liquid natural gas (LNG) in the Asia-Pacific market will grow.” Sending a claw to the Europeans, he assured that the latter “said that long-term contracts are not necessary, therefore they are not necessary… we have fulfilled our obligations towards you”. Revenues from Russia were not affected by this fall in deliveries, due to the surge in gas prices. The Kremlin never ceases to affirm that the decisions of European leaders affect above all their own populations. SEE ALSO – Faced with gas “blackmail” from Moscow, the EU is turning to Israel, said Ursula von der Leyen