{"id":1456216,"date":"2022-04-28T07:44:40","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T11:44:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1456216"},"modified":"2022-04-28T07:46:27","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T11:46:27","slug":"russia-shuts-down-gas-supplies-to-poland-and-bulgaria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russia-shuts-down-gas-supplies-to-poland-and-bulgaria\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia Shuts Down Gas Supplies to Poland and Bulgaria"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frussia-shuts-down-gas-supplies-to-poland-and-bulgaria%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1456216&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Russia is being accused of \u201cblackmail\u201d by European officials after it cut off natural gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria \u2013 a major escalation of tensions with the West over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>The Kremlin-run energy conglomerate Gazprom released a statement on Wednesday saying that it had halted supplies to Polish firm PGNiG and Bulgarian gas company Bulgargaz.<\/p>\n<p>The cutoff was Moscow\u2019s retaliation for the two countries\u2019 refusal to pay for Russian energy commodities in rubles.<\/p>\n<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin followed through on his threat to end natural gas deliveries to \u201cunfriendly countries\u201d that don\u2019t use rubles rather than euros or dollars.<\/p>\n<p>Putin has sought to boost his national currency after its value plummeted in the wake of harsh economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union.<\/p>\n<p>Russian gas accounts for some 40% of Europe\u2019s total consumption and EU gas imports from Russia.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/POLAND-GAS.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption>A model of the natural gas pipeline is seen in front of displayed Polish and Russian flag colors on April 26, 2022.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Poland and Bulgaria are particularly vulnerable to any pause in shipments of natural gas from Russia. Warsaw imports 55% of its natural gas \u2013 equal to 21 billion cubic meters \u2013 from Russia every year.<\/p>\n<p>Bulgaria imports over 90% of the gas it needs from Russia via Turk Stream pipeline under a 10-year contract that expires at the end of 2022.\u00a0Sofia has said it would not hold talks to renew the deal amid Russian invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Both Poland and Bulgaria had indicated that they had no plans to renew their contracts with Gazprom, which were due to expire at the end of this year.<\/p>\n<p>Polish officials confirmed the cessation of natural gas shipments and said they anticipated the Russian decision and that they had taken contingency measures to prepare for the eventuality that the Kremlin would turn off the spigot.<\/p>\n<p>Bulgarian officials have said that they have yet to see any indication that gas shipments were halted.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/gas-19.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/gas-19.jpg\" alt=\"Personnel checks the quality in a production hall of the German GMB solar glass producer in Tschernitz, eastern Germany on April 19, 2022.\" class=\"wp-image-22050688\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/gas-19.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/gas-19.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/gas-19.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=512 512w\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Personnel checks the quality in a production hall of the German GMB solar glass producer in Tschernitz, eastern Germany on April 19, 2022. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ukraine reported on Wednesday that Russian troops had made gains in several villages there, while Russia reported a number of blasts on its side of the border, which Kyiv called \u201ckarma\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Gazprom\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/companies\/GAZP.MM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">(GAZP.MM)<\/a>, the Russian gas export monopoly, said in a statement it had \u201ccompletely suspended gas supplies to Bulgargaz and PGNiG\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/companies\/PGN.WA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">(PGN.WA)<\/a>\u00a0due to absence of payments in rubles,\u201d referring to the Polish and Bulgarian gas companies. Poland and Bulgaria confirmed the supply had been cut.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause all trade and legal obligations are being observed, it is clear that at the moment the natural gas is being used more as a political and economic weapon in the current war,\u201d Bulgarian Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov said.<\/p>\n<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded last month that buyers from \u201cunfriendly\u201d countries pay for gas in rubles or be cut off. The European Union says this violates contracts that called for payment in euros.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe 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,\u201d European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is unjustified and unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/EAST-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/EAST-1.jpg\" alt=\"A Ukrainian servicewoman walks at a position, as Russia&#039;s attack on Ukraine continues, in Luhansk Region, Ukraine on April 26, 2022.\" class=\"wp-image-22050614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/EAST-1.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/EAST-1.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/EAST-1.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/EAST-1.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=512 512w\" \/><\/a><figcaption>A Ukrainian servicewoman walks at a position, as Russia\u2019s attack on Ukraine continues, in Luhansk Region, Ukraine on April 26, 2022.  <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Poland and Bulgaria are both former Soviet-era satellites of Moscow that have since joined the EU and NATO. Poland has been one of the Kremlin\u2019s most vocal opponents over the war. Bulgaria has long had warmer relations with Russia, but Prime Minister Kirill Petkov, an anti-corruption campaigner who took office last year, strongly denounced the invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Petkov was due to travel on Wednesday to Kyiv, the latest European leader to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.<\/p>\n<p>Poland receives its Russian gas through the Yamal-Europe pipeline from Russia\u2019s huge gas fields in the Arctic far north, which continues west to supply Germany and other European countries. Bulgaria is supplied through pipes over Turkey.<\/p>\n<p>Other European countries, including Germany, the biggest buyer of Russian gas, did not report cuts.<\/p>\n<p>Supplies from Gazprom\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/companies\/GAZP.MM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">(GAZP.MM)<\/a>\u00a0cover about 50% of Poland\u2019s consumption and about 90% of Bulgaria\u2019s. Poland said it did not need to draw on reserves and its gas storage was 76% full. Bulgaria has said it is in talks to try to import liquefied natural gas through Turkey and Greece.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/AFP_324R9K7.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"824\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/AFP_324R9K7.jpg\" alt=\"A servicewoman reacts during funerals honoring servicemen killed during Russia&#039;s invasion of Ukraine, in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 9, 2022.\" class=\"wp-image-22050624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/AFP_324R9K7.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/AFP_324R9K7.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/AFP_324R9K7.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/AFP_324R9K7.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=512 512w\" \/><\/a><figcaption>A servicewoman reacts during funerals honoring servicemen killed during Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 9, 2022. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Russia\u2019s energy exports had until now continued largely unhindered since the war began, the biggest loophole in sanctions that have otherwise cut off Moscow from much of its trade with the West.<\/p>\n<p>Kyiv has long called on Europe to stop funding Moscow\u2019s war effort by cutting off imports that bring Russia hundreds of millions of dollars a day.<\/p>\n<p>Germany said this week it is hoping to stop importing Russian oil within days. But weaning Europe off cheap and abundant Russian natural gas, which heats its houses, fuels its factories and drives its electric power plants, would be a far more disruptive prospect.<\/p>\n<p>Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine\u2019s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Russia was \u201cbeginning the gas blackmail of Europe\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/gas-26.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/gas-26.jpg\" alt=\"Since the Russian invasion force was driven back at the outskirts of Kyiv last month, Moscow has refocused its operation on eastern Ukraine\" class=\"wp-image-22050682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/gas-26.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/gas-26.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/gas-26.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=512 512w\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Since the Russian invasion force was driven back at the outskirts of Kyiv last month, Moscow has refocused its operation on eastern Ukraine.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Since the Russian invasion force was driven back at the outskirts of Kyiv last month, Moscow has refocused its operation on eastern Ukraine, starting a new offensive from several directions to fully capture two provinces known as the Donbas.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine\u2019s general staff acknowledged Russia had made gains in the east, capturing the town of Zavody and some outskirts of the town of Velyka Komyshuvakha on one front, and the Zarichne and Novoshtokivske settlements in Donetsk region.<\/p>\n<p>Blasts were heard early on Wednesday in three Russian provinces bordering Ukraine, authorities said, and an ammunition depot in the Belgorod province caught fire. The regional governor said the blaze near Staraya Nelidovka village had been put out.<\/p>\n<p>Russia this month accused Ukraine of attacking a fuel depot in Belgorod with helicopters and opening fire on several villages in the province. A fire also broke out this week at a fuel depot in nearby Bryansk.<\/p>\n<p><em>With Reuters<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russia is being accused of \u201cblackmail\u201d by European officials after it cut off natural gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria \u2013 a major escalation of tensions with the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1456216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1456216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1456216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1456216\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1456216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1456216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1456216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}