Putin Orders Gazprom to Increase Natural Gas Supply to European Storage Facilities

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 27th (local time) instructed the state-owned gas company Gazprom to increase natural gas supplies to Europe after sufficient reserves for Russia have been secured.

According to AFP and other agencies, President Putin gave this order to Alexey Miller, CEO of Gazprom, during a video conference on resource development in the Yamal Peninsula held that day.

President Putin told CEO Miller, "Complete the supply of natural gas to Russia's underground storage facilities by the 8th of next month, then begin work to increase the supply of natural gas to gas storage facilities in the European region." He emphasized that this plan would "make the European energy market more favorable."

CEO Miller reported to President Putin that Gazprom would complete the supply of 72.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas to domestic underground storage by the 8th of next month.

Europe is currently experiencing an energy crisis as natural gas prices have soared to record highs. Europe is blaming Russia for the sharp rise in natural gas prices, claiming that Russia is using natural gas supply as leverage to pressure for approval to operate the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was completed last month.

President Putin said on the 22nd that once German authorities approve the operation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, natural gas supplies to Europe can be increased immediately.

Russia built the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to expand the transport capacity of the existing Nord Stream pipeline, which connects northern Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea seabed. The 1,230 km long Nord Stream 2 pipeline was completed in September.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.