Russian Oil Giant Shuts Down Natural Gas Pipeline to Germany as Energy Prices Soar

 

In 2018 during his speech to the UN General Assembly President Donald Trump lodged a warning to Germany about their country’s reliance on Russian energy.

The German delegation laughed on camera at the remarks.

In June Russia announced it would reduce natural gas flows through a key European pipeline by roughly 40% into Germany.   

German politicians called this a political move.

The Russians don’t care what they call it. They will have to deal with it.

But Russia was not yet finished.

In July Russia announced it was cutting gas to Germany and Europe by another 20%.

Earlier this month natural gas prices reached a new record high in Europe. And Russia announced up to a 60% price increase in the coming cold weather months.

On Wednesday Russian state-controlled energy giant Gazprom announced they were shutting down the flow of natural gas to Germany due to “routine maintenance” at a compressor station.

The Germans are not happy.

Breitbart.com reported.

Russia’s Gazprom stopped the flow of natural gas through a major pipeline from Russia to Europe early Wednesday, a temporary move to it announced in advance.

The Russian state-controlled energy giant said earlier this month that it would cut the flow of gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline until Saturday for what it says is a three-day pause for routine maintenance at a compressor station.

According to Gazprom, the only remaining turbine, which is located at the Portovaya compressor station, needs maintenance. The head of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, Klaus Mueller, has said that the maintenance work is technically incomprehensible and he considers it a way of punishing Germany for siding with Ukraine since the Russian invasion.

Gazprom has repeatedly reduced the flow of gas through Nord Stream 1 claiming technical issues such as equipment repairs. Germany calls these cuts a political move to sow uncertainty and push up prices amid the war in Ukraine.

Russia has also reduced the flow of gas to other European countries which have sided with Ukraine in the war.

Meanwhile, energy prices are soaring in Western Europe.