Russia has cut off gas supplies to European countries, raising fears of a crisis in Europe.
According to a Bloomberg report, Russia has cut supplies to European countries from the Nordstream pipeline used for gas supplies by 60%, affecting Germany, France, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Russia’s cuts in gas supplies have pushed up energy prices in Europe, adding to the already strained European economy.
Russian state gas company Gazprom says the Nordstream pipeline is being repaired, which has cut off supplies to Europe, but EU officials have denied the allegations, saying Russia Punishing Europe for being an ally of Ukraine.
According to the report, Germany and Italy, major buyers of Russian gas in Europe, have cut gas supplies by 60% and 50%, respectively.
“This is a very serious and tense situation, in fact it is a test of strength between the Western allies and Russia,” German Economy Minister Robert Haybeck said in an interview.
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He said the use of natural gas for power generation had been restricted due to fears of possible shortages following a supply cut by Russia.
Klaus Mرller, head of the German gas company BNetzA, said in a tweet that “we are all facing a very serious situation due to the shortage of supplies from Russia, and we will try to avoid it as long as possible.”