Russia, which has suspended the delivery of gas to the European Union by the Nord Stream gas pipeline, “gas torch” at a loss because “its tanks are full”, deplored European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson on Tuesday.
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“We see that Russia and its companies are using natural gas as a weapon. They have cut off deliveries to Europe, but (…) they have no other gas pipelines to other parts of the world, and their underground reservoirs are full,” the European Commissioner told reporters. journalists during a visit to the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
“Our satellites have recorded gas leaks and natural gas flaring, but this is very bad for the environment because methane is the second most harmful gas in terms of greenhouse gases”.
Europe risks facing an acute shortage of gas this winter after the announcement on Friday of the complete shutdown of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline by the Russian giant Gazprom.
The Kremlin has linked the halt in deliveries to this strategic gas pipeline to the sanctions imposed by the West after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Furthermore, following the European Union’s decision to do without Russian oil almost completely, “Russia is looking for new markets and is ready to sell its petroleum products at bargain prices to those who would like to buy them”, said Ms. Simson.
But the members of the G7 announced on Friday a cap on the price of oil exported by Russia, to limit the revenues garnered by Moscow.
“We don’t want to pay an aggressor an undue price. So our message to Indonesia, but also to India and China is that if you still want to buy Russian petroleum products, we offer a price cap”.
Ms Simson, who was in Indonesia for a G20 energy meeting and bilateral talks, will continue her trip to India where she is expected to discuss the proposal.
She did not indicate, however, what was Indonesia’s position in the face of the ceiling on the price of Russian oil.
Indonesian oil company Pertamina had considered starting to buy Russian oil at a knockdown price, but has not confirmed that it has signed a contract with Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine in February.