Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has accused Russia of using natural gas supplies as an “instrument of blackmail” following Gazprom’s decision to halt exports to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday. Warsaw and Sofia failed to pay for Russian gas deliveries in April in rubles, Russia’s state-owned energy corporation explained.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Von der Leyen claimed that the “announcement by Gazprom that it is unilaterally stopping delivery of gas to customers in Europe is yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of blackmail.”
The Commission president went on to describe the decision as “unjustified and unacceptable,” adding that it further highlighted the “unreliability of Russia as a gas supplier.”
Brussels has been “working to ensure alternative deliveries and the best possible storage levels across the EU,” Von der Leyen insisted. The EU leader added that contingency plans had been developed for such a scenario in EU member states and that “international partners” could help the EU “secure alternative flows,” without providing specifics.
Von der Leyen’s “gas blackmail” allegation echoes comments made on Wednesday by the Polish and Bulgarian prime ministers.