France accuses Russia of using gas as a ‘weapon’

• Russia to cut gas deliveries to one of its main utilities and halt flows along major pipeline to Germany.
• Europe has been warned that supplies will be squeezed as Gazprom shuts down Nord Stream 1 .

France accused Moscow on Tuesday of using energy supplies as a “weapon of war,” as Russian gas giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) reduced deliveries to one of its main utilities and announced plans to halt flows along a major pipeline to Germany beginning on Wednesday.

European governments are attempting to find a solution to soaring energy costs for businesses and households, as well as alternatives to Russian supply for winter storage.

Western nations are concerned that Moscow is raising gas prices to weaken their resolve to oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a tactic Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dubbed “economic terrorism” on Monday. Moscow denies any involvement.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which transports Russian gas into Europe, has become a flashpoint in Russia’s economic war with Brussels. Europe has already been warned that supplies will be squeezed as Gazprom shuts down Nord Stream 1 for maintenance from Wednesday to Friday.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the only thing preventing gas from being delivered via Nord Stream 1 are technological issues caused by Western sanctions.

However, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, France’s Energy Transition Minister, stated on Tuesday: “Very clearly Russia is using gas as a weapon of war and we must prepare for the worst case scenario of a complete interruption of supplies.”

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She was speaking to France Inter radio after French utility Engie (ENGIE.PA) announced on Tuesday that it would receive less gas from Gazprom due to an unspecified contractual dispute.

Russia has been pumping gas through Nord Stream 1 at only 20% capacity, and there are fears that the outage this week will be extended.

“There are guarantees that, apart from technological problems caused by sanctions, nothing hinders the supplies,” the Kremlin’s Peskov said when asked if there are guarantees that Gazprom will restart gas flows via Nord Stream 1.

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