The Russian government has stated it could stop gas supplies to Europe, if EU member states would decide not to continue buying Russian oil, British news portal The Guardian reports.
As European leaders prepare to meet in France on Thursday, March 10, to discuss possible actions to focus on other sources of gas and oil, Moscow claimed that any such move could be a catastrophe for the global market.
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«A rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market,» noted Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak, saying the price could more than double to over USD 300 per barrel.
Noting that Germany last month froze the certification of Nord Stream 2 that was due to pipe gas from Russia to Germany, he said Russia could cut off the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline – one of the main sources of natural gas to Europe. «We have every right to take a matching decision and impose an embargo on gas pumping through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline,» stated the Russian deputy PM, The Guardian reports.