Speaking in Tehran during a visit to Iran on July 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the ongoing disruptions to Russian gas supplies to Europe could be resolved by launching the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany.
Mr. Putin told reporters that Russian gas supplies to Europe could increase if Nord Stream 2 is finally allowed to operate - AP reported.
Nord Stream 2 is designed to transport 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Germany. The Baltic Sea-powered underwater project has been completed, but Germany has not certified it in response to Russia's recognition of the two breakaway areas in Ukraine's Donbass.
Russia has not abandoned the pipeline it has built despite US sanctions. After Germany stopped certifying Nord Stream 2, Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov commented that the project was not dead, but "beautiful people sleeping in the forest".
We have another pipeline ready Nord Stream 2, which could be launched, President Putin said, when asked about how to address Europes energy crisis.
A month and a half ago, in a conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, we discussed that issue. I have raised this issue, saying that Gazprom has reserved capacity. Germany must do something to solve the problem, it cannot be left idle for a long time, Putin said.
According to the Russian president, Chancellor Scholz replied that he had many more important issues.
I had to warn him that if so, we would take half of the volume for Nord Stream 2 for domestic consumption and processing. And Gazprom has done it, so even if we launch Nord Stream 2 tomorrow, it will not be 55 billion cubic meters per year, but half that is, Putin added.
The Russian president has introduced an overview of Russian gas supplies to Europe, blaming Poland and Ukraine for ongoing disruptions.
He said Russia supplied Europe with 170 billion cubic meters per year and 30 billion cubic meters per year to Turkey.
Of those 170 billion cubic meters, 55 billion cubic meters pass through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany, 33 billion cubic meters pass through the Yamal pipeline running through Poland, 33 billion cubic meters pass through each of the two pipelines running through Ukraine, and 12 billion cubic meters pass through the TurkStream pipeline.
But Mr. Putin said that Ukraine announced that it would close one of two routes running through the country's territory on "political" grounds. Poland has since applied and imposed sanctions on the Yamal-China pipeline. Mr. Putin said Poland bought Russian gas from Germany at a cheaper price. Normally, Poland buys from us at quite expensive prices, close to market prices, while Germany buys from us under long-term contracts that are 3-4 times cheaper than market prices, Putin said.
According to the Russian leader, German companies still make a profit when reselling to Poland, while Poland's purchases will also make a profit, because the price is cheaper than buying gas directly from Russia. However, the volume of gas in the European market has decreased and the general price in the market has increased. In this case, only Europeans lost.
President Putin blamed the sanctions for reducing deliveries via Nord Stream 1 because a maintenance turbine in Canada was not returned on time.
Regarding this issue, on July 17, Canada sent the turbine back to Germany, from which it is expected to reach Russia's Portovaya Compression Station.
They have closed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and put the Nord Stream 1 gas turbines under sanctions. Gazprom is ready to pump as much as it needs, but they have closed everything themselves, Putin said, blaming Western powers for their own difficulties.
