Russia wants to deal a final blow to the European energy market this winter. This is what Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky says in his daily video message on Saturday evening. He speaks of an “energy war” with which Russia is trying to “destroy the normal life of all Europeans”.
The Ukrainian president calls on European countries in his video message to form a united front. According to Zelensky, the enemy uses not only tanks and missiles but also energy as a weapon. As an example, the Ukrainian president cites the shut down Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. “For example, Russia is trying to increase the pressure on the European energy market.”
The fact that Gazprom has been shutting down the important gas pipeline for days due to technical problems is a sign that the Russian state-owned company is “unreliable”, according to the European Commission. European leaders accuse Russia of using the gas tap as a political means of pressure.
The British newspaper The Guardian reports that even at the height of the Cold War, gas continued to flow from Russia to Europe. The fact that Russia has now shut down Nord Stream 1 emphasizes “the seriousness of the current situation”, according to the newspaper.