Commenting on US President Donald Trump's statement that Turkey will give up Russian gas, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Turkey will continue to cooperate in business with Moscow when it benefits them.
Mr. Peskov emphasized that the two strategic gas pipelines TurkStream and Blue Stream are currently operating at maximum capacity, showing that energy cooperation between Russia and Turkey is still stable.
Turkey is a sovereign country, they decide who to cooperate with. If it benefits them, they will continue to buy Russian gas, Peskov said.
According to data from the Turkish Energy Market Management Agency (EPDK) released in January 2025, Russia will maintain its position as Turkey's largest gas, oil and gas supplier in 2024, similar to 2023. This confirms that Turkey is unlikely to have a short-term replacement, despite pressure from Washington.
Not only Turkey, Belarus also reaffirmed its desire to maintain current Russian gas imports. In a recent meeting in the Kremlin, President Alexander Lukashenko said that Belarus still needs gas for power plants to operate in "cooled" mode and for mining activities.
He emphasized: "We will continue to buy the same volume of gas from Gazprom. I believe Gazprom will not suffer any damage, because gas is still needed everywhere today.
President Lukashenko also admitted that he had concerns about Belarus building a nuclear power plant, fearing excess energy. But in reality, additional power sources have boosted the development of many economic sectors.
With great dependence on "intellectual customers" such as Turkey and Belarus, observers say Russia still holds a weighty "energy card", despite the US's efforts to shake Russia's influence in the region.
