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Europe fears energy crisis as Russia shuts off key gas pipeline
[NYPOST] Europe is fearful that the Kremlin will indefinitely extend this week’s planned shutdown of a key Russian natural gas pipeline in a bid to ratchet up pressure on Western nations during the war in Ukraine, according to multiple reports.Operator Nord Stream AG confirmed Monday that its Nord Stream 1 pipeline — a key artery for natural gas shipments from Russia to Europe — had shut down for routine maintenance. The annual shutdown typically lasts for about 10 days and is expected to conclude on July 21. But rising tensions between Russia and Western allies have added to concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin will cut off the flow of natural gas for a much longer period in response to crippling economic sanctions — a move that could push Europe into a full-blown energy crisis. “The last few months have shown one thing: Putin knows no taboos. A complete halt to gas supplies through the Nord Stream pipeline cannot therefore be ruled out,” Timm Kehler, managing director of German industry association Zukunft Gas, told Reuters. Germany and other European nations remain heavily reliant on Russia oil and gas — a reality that has undercut a movement backed by Ukraine’s government and some members of the European Union to end purchases from Russian sources in response to the invasion. Related: Nord Stream: 2022-07-11 Germany Shuts Nord Stream for Repair, and Europe Holds its Breath-Peter Zeihan Nord Stream: 2022-07-11 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 10th, 2022 Nord Stream: 2022-07-09 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 8th, 2022 Posted by: Fred 2022-07-12 |
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