Russia "suffocates" Europe with gas and threatens it with "freezing nights" #gerfrav #LaneigexBibleBuild #Vette

In light of the reduction in Russian gas supplies, the prices of this commodity continue to skyrocket in Europe, as it crossed on Tuesday the $2,000 per thousand cubic meter limit, for the first time since last March.

In this context, the European Union countries decided today to reduce gas consumption by 15 percent and reduce dependence on Russian gas supplies, as part of an emergency plan to reduce their use of this strategic substance in the winter, which comes early in Europe.

Europeans fear Russia's ambiguous policy on gas supplies.

Russia had announced earlier this July that it would stop gas supplies in the "Nord Stream 1" pipeline, which supplies gas to Germany, for reasons it said were related to maintenance.

Economists believe that things are heading towards pricing the “energy war” between the Russians and the Europeans, with the continuation of the military war in Ukraine, warning that the margins of action are almost non-existent for the Europeans to compensate for Russian gas, especially as the time factor puts pressure on them, as winter usually comes early. in European countries.

Observers argue that Moscow has the right to use its power cards, including the energy card, in the face of Western sanctions and pressures, while others believe that the intrusion of energy and the practice of extortion in it is no less dangerous than playing with the strategic food commodity card such as wheat, and what all of this constitutes harming the energy and food security of the world.

Recession looms

And economic advisor specializing in the energy sector, Amer Al-Shobaki, said in an interview with "Sky News Arabia": "European gas prices jumped by 12%, reaching more than 186 euros per megawatt hour, and therefore these are very high prices that are pressing the inflation rates up. This confirms the correctness of expectations that Europe is inevitably entering a phase of economic stagnation in the near future.”

Not only that, Al-Shobaki adds: “These rises also pressured oil prices against the backdrop of the expectation that oil would be an alternative to scarce gas in Europe. Thus, the exchange of accusations between the Russians and the European Union about who is right and who is wrong seems futile and does not contribute to overcoming the crisis. It is easy to provide justifications for cutting off Russian gas for technical reasons, if Moscow wants to do so.

He continued: "On the other hand, it is difficult for the Europeans to verify that this is true, and it is also easy for Europe to launch accusations that Moscow is deliberately reducing gas supplies to it, which is difficult to categorically accept."
 Thus, the crisis is intensifying, with dire consequences, especially since winter is approaching, as the expert in the oil and energy sector explains.

Al-Shobaki added: “The European gas reserves are now sought by the European Union to be filled by 80 percent until next November, and Berlin, for its part, is seeking to reach 95 percent of its reserves, in anticipation of the possibility of Russia’s decision to cut gas completely before or during the winter, but European stocks are currently less. From 66 percent, and this pushes the direction of its depletion, and therefore these stocks will drop by mid-winter to less than 20 percent, which is a very worrying and dangerous percentage.”

Al-Shobaki said that the possibility of the Russians cutting gas from Europe "is very realistic and possible, which means raising the maximum European emergency level."

Serious repercussions

He explained that this is represented in "transferring large quantities of gas for urgent social uses in homes and hospitals at the expense of some industries, as factories will stop working due to the lack of gas, and there are European plans to develop housing and large public halls to heat some residents who lack gas in their homes and do not They can get it next winter (...)".

Al-Shobaki added: "This catastrophic scene predicts the occurrence of unrest, social unrest and great popular protests within European countries, as a result of high prices and the lack of energy sources, which will fuel the Russian-European economic conflict, as Moscow is employing the gas and energy card in general now in anticipation of any new European sanctions, Rather, to push the European Union to undo even some of the sanctions currently in place."

European Union Energy Commissioner Kadri Simpson considered the announcement by Russia's gas giant Gazprom that it would cut more deliveries to Europe this week as a politically motivated move.

"We know there is no technical reason to do this, this is a politically motivated move and we have to be prepared for that," Simpson said upon her arrival in Brussels for a meeting of EU energy ministers.

The Presidency of the European Union considered the reduction of gas supplies "new evidence" that it should not rely on Moscow, while the German government called on citizens to reduce gas use after "Gazprom" announced a reduction in its supplies.

German Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck considered that Russia was playing a "cunning game" by announcing a reduction in gas supplies through the "Nord Stream 1" pipeline.