Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned natural gas provider, stops delivering gas to Austria this weekend, according to Austrian energy firm OMV, but Chancellor Karl Nehammer assured his country that fuel supplies are secure.
According to media sources, OMV said on Friday that Gazprom would stop providing them with gas on Saturday.
Russia’s action came after OMV announced that it would stop paying Gazprom to offset a 230 million-euro arbitration verdict it received from the International Chamber of Commerce for a prior gas cut-off.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, tweeted about Russia’s Gazprom’s stoppage of gas supply to Austria.
“Once again Putin is using energy as a weapon.
He is trying to blackmail Austria & Europe by cutting gas supplies.
We are prepared for this and ready for the winter. Gas storage across the EU is full.”
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, marking their first direct exchange in nearly two years.
The EU should decisively cut off energy supplies from the Russian Federation, since the Kremlin utilises this tool for blackmail and pressure.