Russia Threatens to Stop Exporting Energy to Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to halt all energy shipments to Europe, if Brussels goes ahead with a proposal to cap the price of Russian gas, in a combative speech declaring Russia would not lose the war in Ukraine.

The speech came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported “good news” from the front near Kharkiv in the east, saying some settlements had been recaptured as both sides reported ‘heavy fighting’ in the region.

Ukrainian and pro-Russian officials said there was fighting around the town of Balakleiia about 60 km (38 miles) southeast of Kharkiv, with unconfirmed reports of ‘heavy losses’ to Russian forces.

An explosion at a power plant near Odesa in the south, meanwhile, cut electricity supplies to 360,000 people, a spokesperson for the regional administration said.

Putin said in a speech on Wednesday to an economic forum in Russia’s Far East that Russia would not lose what he calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

He threatened to halt all supplies of energy to Europe if Brussels went ahead with its proposed ‘price cap’ on Russian gas, the latest Western step to deprive the Kremlin of funds to finance the war.)

“We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil – we will not supply anything” if that occurs, he said. Europe usually imports about 40% of its gas and 30% of its oil from Russia.

The United States and France says Moscow is already using energy as a “weapon” to weaken Europe’s opposition to its invasion, with the main conduit for Russian gas into Europe, Nord Stream 1, shut for maintenance.

Reuters /Shakirat Sadiq