Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to completely cut energy supplies to the West if it tries to cap prices of Russian exports. He also vowed to press on with Moscow's military action in Ukraine until it achieves its goals.
Speaking at an annual economic forum in the far-eastern port city of Vladivostok, Mr Putin scoffed at the EU plans for a cap on Russian oil and gas prices as a "stupid" idea that "will only lead to a hike in prices".
"An attempt to limit prices by administrative means is just ravings, it's sheer nonsense," Mr Putin said.
"If they try to implement that dumb decision, it will entail nothing good for those who will make it."
He warned that such a move by the EU would represent a clear breach of existing contracts, saying that Russia could respond by turning off the faucets.
"Will they make political decisions violating the contracts?" he said.
"In that case, we will just halt supplies if it contradicts our economic interests. We won't supply any gas, oil, diesel oil or coal."
The Russian leader said his nation would easily find enough customers in Asia to shift its energy exports away from Europe.
"The demand is so high on global markets that we won't have any problem selling it," he said.
Mr Putin added that "those who try to enforce something on us aren't in a position today to dictate their will," pointing at protests in the West against rising energy prices.
Turning off the energy tap
Hours before it was due to resume natural gas deliveries to Germany after a three-day stoppage for repairs, Russia's state-controlled Gazprom claimed it couldn't do so until oil leaks in turbines are fixed.
German officials and engineers refuted that claim.
The Kremlin blamed the suspension of supplies on Western sanctions against Gazprom, charging that they hamper normal maintenance of the pipeline's equipment and signalling that supplies may not resume until the restrictions are lifted.
EU officials rejected the claim as a cover for a political power play.
Mr Putin dismissed the EU's argument that Russia was using energy as a weapon by suspending gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany.
"They have driven themselves into deadlock with sanctions," the Russian leader said.
Mr Putin repeated that Moscow stands ready to start pumping gas "as early as tomorrow" through the Nord Stream 2, which has been put on hold by the German authorities.
Turning to Ukraine, Mr Putin declared again that the main goal behind sending troops into Ukraine was protecting civilians after eight years of fighting in the country's east.
"It wasn't us who started the military action, we are trying to put an end to it," Mr Putin said, repeating his long-held argument that he ordered the military action to protect Moscow-backed separatist regions in Ukraine, which have fought Ukrainian forces in the conflict that erupted in 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea.
"All our action has been aimed at helping people living in the Donbas, it's our duty and we will fulfil it until the end," he said.
Ukraine claims Crimea strikes
In Ukraine the country's top military chief claimed responsibility for a series of strikes on Russian air bases on the annexed Crimea Peninsula, including one that caused devastation at the Saky military facility last month.
In an article co-authored by lawmaker Mykhailo Zabrodskyi and published by a state news agency, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the Ukrainian army's commander in chief, said the strikes had been carried out by missiles or rockets, without elaborating.
Ukraine has until now only hinted at its involvement in the Crimea strikes, with one senior official anonymously telling Reuters that the air base explosions were the work of Ukrainian saboteurs on the ground.
Meanwhile, Ukraine called on the residents of Russian-occupied areas around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to evacuate for their own safety.
The exiled Ukrainian mayor of Enerhodar, the main town serving the plant, said on Telegram that it was under fire from Russian forces and that the town had no electrical supply.
Russia accuses Kyiv of shelling the nuclear plant.
ABC/Wires
