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Gas prices have risen by 9 percent as Russia has reduced the amount of gas it delivers to Germany and other central European countries.
Critics accuse the Russian Government of using gas as a political weapon since Russia started the war in Ukraine on February 24.
Russia has reduced supplies to the Nord Stream 1 pipeline – which carries gas to Germany.
This pipeline is now operating at one-fifth of its capacity.
Germany imports 55 percent of its gas from Russia and supplies most of it through Nord Stream 1.
Russian energy company Gazprom has tried to justify the latest decision, saying the reduction is necessary to carry out some work on the turbine.
However, the German Government has said that there is no technical reason to reduce the quantities.
Ukraine has accused Moscow of a “gas war” against Europe, as well as of stopping supplies to incite “terror” against people.
“The gas blackmail in Europe, which only gets worse every month, is necessary for the terrorist state in order to make life difficult for every European”, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
These Gazprom decisions increase the pressure on EU countries, which are discussing how to reduce their dependence on Russian gas.
On Tuesday, the European Union’s energy ministers agreed that their countries would reduce their use of gas, in case Russia stops supplies.
They have agreed to voluntarily reduce gas usage by 15 percent from August to March.
The voluntary gas reduction agreement can be made mandatory in case of an emergency.
The EU has said that some countries, which are not connected to other countries’ pipelines, may constitute an exception to the requirement for such a reduction, since they do not have alternative supplies.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine by Russia on February 24, the price of gas has increased several times and this conflict has had an impact on energy bills around the world.
The Kremlin has said the high prices are the result of Western sanctions, insisting it is a reliable energy partner and is not responsible for recent disruptions in gas supplies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
He calls the war a “special military operation” to demilitarize Ukraine.
The West has responded to Russia, hitting the economy of this country with harsh sanctions./Rel
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