Vladimir Putin warned against “direct attempts” to hinder the work of the Russian gas company Gazprom
Moscow:
President Vladimir Putin lashed out Friday against “direct attempts” to obstruct the work of Russian gas giant Gazprom at the center of deteriorating relations between Moscow and Europe over the Ukraine conflict.
European countries relied heavily on the company for supplies of natural gas, but have since rushed to other sources after Russia sent troops to Ukraine.
Speaking during an event marking the company’s 30th anniversary, Putin praised its “efficiency and stability”.
Putin told a group of Gazprom employees via video link, “Despite – frankly – unfair competition and direct attempts from outside to hinder and stifle its growth, Gazprom is moving forward and creating new launching projects.
Moscow announced earlier this week that its gas exports were set to fall 25 percent year-on-year in 2022, blaming European countries for the sharp decline.
In response to Russia’s intervention, Germany revoked approval for the recently completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would have deepened European dependence on Russian gas supplies.
Moscow said instead that its supply of gas to China doubled last year compared to the previous year and it expects a further increase in supplies after losing some of its European market share.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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