No gas for Poland and Bulgaria: EU accuses Russia of blackmail

According to EU Commission chief von der Leyen, Gazprom’s delivery freeze to Poland and Bulgaria is another attempt at blackmail by Russia. But the EU is prepared and we will react together.

After Russian gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria were suspended, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Moscow of blackmail. “Gazprom’s announcement is another attempt by Russia to blackmail us with gas,” von der Leyen wrote on Twitter. However, the EU is prepared for this scenario and will give a “coordinated answer”.

They are in close contact with all EU countries and have worked to ensure deliveries from other countries. In addition, there are contingency plans for such a situation. The action once again shows the unreliability of Russia as a gas supplier.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki described the delivery stop as a “direct attack” on his country. “This time Russia has pushed the limits of imperialism, of gas imperialism, one step further,” Morawiecki said in Parliament in Warsaw. With this step, Russia wants to take revenge for the fact that Poland has imposed sanctions on a number of oligarchs and companies, including the state-owned company Gazprom.

The prime minister said Poland had enough gas supplies. The energy supply is secured. “In the past few months, we have been pumping gas into Polish storage facilities. I stress, into Polish storage facilities, not into Russian-owned storage facilities in Germany.”

Supply in Bulgaria secured for the time being

Bulgaria also accused Russia of using natural gas as a political and economic weapon. “Bulgaria will not conduct negotiations under pressure,” Energy Minister Aleksandar Nikolov said in Sofia. Prime Minister Kiril Petkov also spoke of blackmail. According to Nikolow, the gas supply to important customers is secured for at least a month. Concrete further steps are to be discussed at an expert meeting today. “Bulgaria is a long-term loyal partner according to the existing contract, which provides for payments in dollars.”

Bulgaria should no longer receive natural gas from Russia from Wednesday, but the supply continued in the morning, according to the energy minister. They are expected to be hired later in the day.

Bulgaria is almost completely dependent on Russian natural gas supplies. A connection to the gas network in neighboring Greece should be ready in June. In this way, the EU country wants to diversify its gas supply sources and also obtain gas from other countries.

Poland and Bulgaria further transit countries

According to Climate Minister Anna Moskva, Russia had stopped deliveries to Poland through the Yamal pipeline in the morning as announced. However, there are no reports of delivery disruptions in the country. According to the minister, the relatively well-stocked gas storage facilities do not have to be tapped at the moment; this could be more of an issue in the next autumn and winter season. Until then, however, a new pipeline should also route Norwegian gas across the Baltic Sea to Poland. Poland wanted to let the supply contracts with Russia expire anyway.

Warsaw saw Russia’s delivery stop as a breach of contract. Gazprom justified the step by saying that Poland and Bulgaria had not made any payments in rubles. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last month that Russia would only accept gas payments in its own currency.

Gazprom also warned Poland and Bulgaria in the morning against tapping Russian gas supplied to other countries via their territory. In this case, the gas quantities delivered to Europe would be reduced, the group said.

The Polish government confirmed this week that it would supply the Ukrainian army with tanks. In addition, the country is an important transit country for arms shipments from the United States and other western countries to Ukraine.

Supply guaranteed in Germany

Germany and other European countries have not been affected by the delivery stop so far. The gas flow is currently stable. “We are in close coordination within the European Union to consolidate the picture of the situation,” said the Ministry of Economic Affairs. “The relevant bodies are meeting at the moment.” According to government information, Austria and Hungary will also continue to receive their gas under the contract.

For Germany, however, the FDP foreign politician Alexander Graf Lambsdorff expects a delivery stop in the future. “As soon as we approach the point where we are independent of Russian supplies, you have to expect something like that, with political gestures like that,” Lambsdorff said Deutschlandfunk. “But we shouldn’t let that intimidate us or make us nervous. We’re on our way to say goodbye to these deliveries anyway.”

In response to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the EU Commission is seeking an import ban on Russian gas and oil. So far, however, there has not been the necessary unanimity among the EU countries. In addition to Germany and Austria, Hungary had recently spoken out against a gas embargo.