European leaders have blasted Russia’s decision to halt gas shipments to Poland and Bulgaria as “blackmail”, amid threats it will do the same to other countries.
They accused the Kremlin’s threat to cease shipments to some European countries as a failed attempt to divide the West over its support for Ukraine.
Russia announced it was cutting off gas exports to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday.
Speaking from Brussels, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the move showed Russia’s “unreliability” as a supplier.
“It comes as no surprise that the Kremlin uses fossil fuels to try to blackmail us,” she said.
“The Kremlin failed once again in his attempt to sow division amongst member states. The era of Russian fossil fuel in Europe is coming to an end.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has insisted it was forced into the action by the “unfriendly steps” of Western nations.
Russian energy giant Gazprom shut off the two EU members because they refused to pay in roubles, as the Kremlin warned others may be cut off if they do not agree to the new pay arrangement.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said “appropriate legal steps” will be taken against Gazprom, while Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said “one-sided blackmail was not acceptable”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia views gas as a weapon for political blackmail and “sees a united Europe as a target”.
While the EU has been firm that it will not comply with Mr Putin’s demands that payments be made in roubles, Hungary has struck a payment deal with Gazprom.
Meanwhile, it is not clear if other countries will comply, and Russia has not divulged which other countries have agreed to make payments this way.
Greece’s next scheduled payment to Gazprom is due on May 25.
Many view Russia’s move to use its most essential export as leverage as dramatic escalation in the economic war of sanctions and countersanctions that has unfolded in parallel to the fighting on the battlefield.
The tactic could eventually force targeted nations to ration gas and deal another blow to economies suffering from rising prices.
At the same time, it could deprive Russia of badly needed income to fund its war effort.
Poland has been a major gateway for the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and confirmed this week that it is sending the country tanks.
Just hours before Russia’s state energy giant Gazprom acted, Poland announced a new set of sanctions against the company and other Russian businesses and oligarchs.
Bulgaria, under a new liberal government that took office last year, has cut many of its old ties to Moscow and likewise supported punitive measures against the Kremlin.
It has also hosted Western fighter jets at a new NATO outpost on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast.
But the move has set off alarm bells within the EU.
Germany, the largest economy on the continent, and Italy are among Europe’s biggest consumers of Russian natural gas, but like other allies, have been taking steps to reduce their dependence on Moscow.
