Lavrov says Russia ready to help ease Europe energy crisis

MOSCOW, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — Russia is willing to support Europe in overcoming the continent’s current energy crisis, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

“I would like to remind once again that (Russian gas industry giant) Gazprom is continuing to supply gas to Europe under long-term contracts,” Lavrov said at an online meeting with representatives from the Association of European Businesses in Russia.

“Gazprom is continuing to completely fulfill all of its obligations, and even more,” he said.

He believes that the European Commission and the United States are directly responsible for the current tensions between Russia and Europe over energy supplies.

Lavrov said that the European Commission retroactively extended legal requirements for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, causing it to operate at just 50-percent capacity.

The same could happen with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is about to be launched, he said.