The new drastic cut in gas supplies announced by Gazprom is “additional proof” that Europe must “reduce its dependence as soon as possible” on Russia, said Tuesday the Czech Minister of Energy, whose country ensures the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU.
“Unity and solidarity are the best weapons we have against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and I’m sure that’s what we will show today,” said Jozef Sikela, ahead of a meeting in Brussels with its counterparts of the 27 to agree on a plan to reduce gas consumption in the EU.
Gazprom announced on Monday that it would drastically reduce deliveries of Russian gas to Europe via the Nord Stream gas pipeline to 33 million m3 per day on Wednesday, citing the need for maintenance of a turbine, i.e. approximately 20% of pipeline capacities.
The European Commission had proposed last week to reduce European gas demand by 15% from August, in order to overcome the fall in Russian deliveries and to pass the winter without major disaster. Russia accounted for some 40% of EU gas imports until last year.
The Brussels plan, which is to be discussed by the member states on Tuesday, provides that each country will have to “do everything possible” to reduce, between August 2022 and March 2023, its gas consumption by at least 15% compared to the average of the last five years over the same period.