The Kremlin blames Westerners. In fact, Moscow assured on Monday that the interruption of Russian gas deliveries to Germany through the strategic Nord Stream gas pipeline was the sole responsibility of Western countries. According to the Russian authorities, their sanctions prevent the maintenance of gas infrastructures.
He was speaking a few days after the complete closure of Nord Stream, a crucial gas pipeline to supply Europeans who fear an energy crisis this winter. “It is these sanctions (…) that have led to the situation that we are seeing now”, he has denounced again during a telephone press conference.
The Kremlin spokesman also “categorically rejected” the “relentless attempts” by Westerners to “shift responsibility and blame” on Moscow. “The West – in this case the European Union, Canada and the United Kingdom – is responsible for the situation reaching such a point,” he added.
A “stuck” Siemens turbine in Germany
Dmitri Peskov has once again justified the stoppage of Russian gas shipments to Germany through the Nord Stream gas pipeline, announced last Friday, due to the “serious maintenance” that, according to him, requires the last turbine that was in operation until then. “It works badly, there are breakdowns. That causes the flow to stop,” he judged.
The Russian giant Gazprom for its part indicated this Friday that it had discovered “oil leaks” in the turbine during a maintenance operation at a compressor station located in Russia.
Moscow claims, in particular, that Western sanctions imposed after the Russian offensive in Ukraine prevent the return of a Siemens turbine that had been sent to Canada for repair. Germany, where the turbine is located, assures that it is Russia that is blocking the return of this key piece.
The cessation of gas flows between Russia and Germany through the Baltic Sea has further accentuated in recent days the fears of Europeans that they will have to face an unprecedented energy crisis this winter.
Source: BFM TV
