On July 1 (Moscow time), according to TASS, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova rejected the statement of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, saying that Russia actively cut off gas supplies to Europe.
Speaking to reporters, Ms. Zakharova affirmed that Russia has never unilaterally stopped supplying gas to European countries and said that the current difficulties of the energy market stem from the decisions of the European Union (EU).
According to a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, any EU citizen can sue the President of the European Commission for this statement and is fully capable of winning in court.
Ms. Zakharova believes that the energy problems that Europe is facing are a consequence of the sanctions that the EU has imposed on Moscow in recent years.
Europeans have created difficulties for themselves by imposing illegal sanctions against Russia," she said.
Since 2022, the EU has implemented a series of policies to reduce dependence on Russia's energy sources, while increasing imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US, the Middle East and other partners.
However, this transition process also makes many European countries face higher energy costs and great pressure on the economy.
In her latest statement, Ms. Zakharova continued to criticize EU leaders, saying that Europe is trying to blame Russia instead of acknowledging the impacts of its policies.
The offensive statements between Moscow and Brussels reflect the level of prolonged tension in Russia-EU relations since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine.
While the EU continues efforts to diversify energy supplies, Russia has repeatedly affirmed that it is still a reliable partner and believes that Western political decisions are the reason for the disruption of the European gas market.
Observers believe that energy disputes are likely to continue to be one of the biggest disagreements between Russia and the European Union in the near future.
