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Responsible for the sabotage in Nord Stream 2 is still unknown, but it is expected to cause a recession in the Eurozone. energy crisis deepens with Russia’s new gas cuts. Tensions between European countries and Russia are rising after sabotage in the Baltic Sea, which is estimated to be one of the biggest dangerous leaks in history, according to the United Nations.
Highway decision Retaliation against EU decisions
After the referendums, which took place in four regions of Ukraine and where more than a hundred countries, including Turkey, did not recognize the results, new gas cuts came from Gazprom to its European customers, while Russia announced that it prohibited the use of its lands to unfriendly countries in road transport. Various food, clothing and technological products, as well as medical supplies, were exempted from the ban. The European Union (EU) countries have also taken various restrictions on the use of European lands in Russia’s road transport. The ban covers EU countries, the UK, Norway and Ukraine. The decision will come into effect on October 10 and will run until the end of 2022.
Gas supplies to Italy and Moldova decline
Eni, the energy giant of Italy, announced that Russia expects the cuts in gas flows to the country to continue on Monday, while Moldova also reports that Gazprom has reduced its gas supply by 30 percent. In the statement made by Gazprom on Telegram, it was announced that the shipment was suspended due to not being approved by the (Austrian) line operator. The Austrian government, on the other hand, states that it could not be given for approval because Gazprom did not sign new contracts.
Concerns about cutting off the natural gas of Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe, have been expressed for some time.
After the sabotage in Nord Stream 1 and 2, there are 2 points where Russian gas continues to be delivered to Europe: the Druzhba pipeline passing through Ukraine and the Turkish Stream pipeline passing through Turkey. In the event that transit passes through Ukraine are also reduced, only Turkish Stream remains. South Stream Transport BV, the Russian operator of TurkStream, whose export license was canceled by the Dutch government on September 30, said that they would continue to transport gas and apply for a renewal of the license. The pipeline, which was opened in January 2020, has a capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters.
Following the developments, European benchmark natural gas prices are expected to start the new week with an increase. TTF fell more than 7 percent on Friday to 188.80 EuroIt was closed at /MWh level.
Russia: Sabotage benefits the USA the most
Although European countries have made some statements implying that Russia is behind the sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines, no government has yet formally blamed Russia for the sabotage. In the statements made by the Kremlin, it is confirmed that this is a sabotage, but it is claimed that the sabotage was carried out by the USA, not Russia. Russia’s envoy to the United Nations said in a statement to the Security Council on Friday that “sabotage benefits the United States the most,” but did not make an official accusation. In his statement on the subject, Vassily Nebenzia said, “The biggest question is whether the United States has benefited from blowing up the pipelines. It will undoubtedly benefit. American LNG suppliers are celebrating that LNG shipments to Europe will increase exponentially.” Some European intelligence experts agree with the Kremlin. Jacques Baud, a former Swiss Intelligence Service employee and member of the Swiss Army, who also served as a NATO consultant, told a French radio that “the United States is probably behind the sabotage of the North Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.” The interview, which was published on the YouTube page of Ligne Droite radio channel on September 29, reached more than 100 thousand views in 24 hours. Baud also mentions the possibility that Poland and Ukraine, who were against the pipelines at the time, may also have sabotaged so that Russian gas could continue to pass through their regions. In an analysis on Flightradar24, it was stated that US military helicopters were circulating in the areas where the explosion occurred in the pipelines before the incident, but in a news in Deutsche Welle it was emphasized that the fact that US helicopters flew in the region did not mean that the sabotage was carried out by the USA. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that “the United States and its allies blew up Nord Stream,” saying that “imposing sanctions on the Anglo-Saxons was not enough. They engaged in sabotage,” he said. US politicians also reject these claims and emphasize that the increase in US LNG exports to the continent is due to Russia’s lack of a reliable energy supplier.
Baltic Pipeline opened: gas flow from Norway to Poland started
European countries will increase their natural gas supply purchases from Norway with the newly launched Baltic Pipe pipeline after the Ukraine War. The pipeline, which carries natural gas from Norway to Poland, came into operation on Saturday. Gaz-System spokesperson, the operator of the line, totals 62.4 kilowatt-hours of natural gas requested to be sent from the pipeline as of October 1. The pipeline, with an annual transport capacity of 10 billion cubic meters, was officially approved and put into operation one day after the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. Russia stopped gas flows to Poland in April on the grounds that it did not pay in rubles.