Gazprom denied accusations against the company and Russia of insufficient gas supplies to Europe.

This was announced by the official representative of "Gazprom" Sergei Kupriyanov on the air of the TV channel "Russia 1".

“All accusations against Russia and Gazprom that we supply little gas to the European market are absolutely groundless, unacceptable and untrue.

To put it simply, it is a lie and a lie, ”he said.

At the same time, Kupriyanov announced the company's readiness to supply additional volumes of blue fuel under existing long-term contracts, the price of which is "significantly lower than on the spot."

“All problems in Western Europe are created for themselves, and there is no need to blame Gazprom for this.

Better to look in the mirror, ”said a company spokesman.

Earlier, on December 23, during a large annual press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Gazprom was not to blame for the sharp rise in gas prices in Europe.

According to him, statements about this are "just an attempt to turn everything upside down again."

In fact, Gazprom not only supplies the entire volume requested by the counterparties under the existing contracts, but also increases the supply of blue fuel to Europe, the Russian leader emphasized.

“In my opinion, this is generally the only country, the only global company that behaves like this.

I have already said at various events, including those of an international nature, that, for example, American suppliers removed significant volumes from Europe, the European market, there 14 million tons of liquefied natural gas, in my opinion, dragged them to premium markets, ” emphasized Putin.

Gazprom's data also testifies to Russia's growing blue fuel supplies to Europe.

Among the countries to which the company has already exported more gas than in 2020 are Germany, Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Greece, Slovenia, Switzerland, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Denmark and Finland.

Gazprom continues to pump its own gas into five European underground storage facilities, ”the company said in its official Telegram channel.

Lunges towards Moscow

Let us remind you that a number of Western countries have accused Russia of causing an energy crisis in Europe.

In September, 43 MEPs, more than half of whom are representatives of Poland and the Baltic states, sent a letter to the European Commission demanding to initiate an investigation into Gazprom's activities. One of the authors of the document, Lithuanian MP Andrius Kubilius, called Gazprom "the Kremlin's hand", which, according to him, is possibly manipulating the European gas market in order to raise prices for blue fuel. Thus, according to Kubilius, Gazprom is allegedly putting pressure on Europe to approve the commissioning of Nord Stream 2. He stated this in his Twitter account, attaching the text of the letter.

Gazprom is the Kremlin's arm, which may be manipulating European gas market to push gas prices up, currently breaking all-time records.

Pressing Europe to approve NS2 operation despite it is in breach of EU rules?

MEPs call European Commission to lounch investigation on Gazprom!

pic.twitter.com/BXXTUhxhap

- Andrius Kubilius (@KubiliusA) September 17, 2021

Later that month, Amos Hochstein, senior adviser to the US State Department for energy security, told Bloomberg TV that gas supplies from Russia to Europe were "inexplicably low when compared to previous years and what the other side could provide."

In his opinion, the Russian Federation is allegedly making attempts to use the energy crisis to strengthen its position on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

In November, a group of US Republican congressmen, in a letter to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, called for recognition and condemnation of Russia's alleged "blatant attempts to use energy resources as a weapon" and exacerbate a serious energy crisis in Europe.

Legislators believe that the administration of US President Joe Biden should demand from the European Union a response to Russia's use of energy resources "as a weapon."

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In turn, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, wrote in a personal blog on the website of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in December that the Russian side allegedly uses energy "as an instrument of political influence."

According to him, although the Russian Federation is fulfilling its obligations on gas supplies, "many consider Russia's refusal to increase export volumes" of blue fuel to Europe or to replenish Gazprom's storage facilities "as a means of putting pressure on the EU."

Moscow categorically rejects such accusations.

As the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova emphasized in her Telegram channel, Russia uses gas not for blackmail, but for mutually beneficial cooperation, “which they know very well” in the European Union.

"They preferred to blame"

As the Deputy Director General of the Institute of National Energy Alexander Frolov noted, all the facts indicate that accusations against Russia from the West of deliberately provoking an energy crisis in Europe are absolutely groundless and unfounded.

“Blaming the Russian Federation or Gazprom for this means absolutely not being guided by the situation.

The company fulfilled its obligations and even increased supplies.

Gas prices jumped for a number of reasons not related to the company and the Russian Federation as a whole.

The crisis was also caused by the fact that suppliers of liquefied natural gas decided to redirect supplies from Europe to Asia, where prices are now even higher than in the EU, "the expert explained in a conversation with RT.

However, according to Frolov, in the West, in particular in the European Union, they prefer not to take these circumstances into account, but unfoundedly blame Russia for everything, since this is beneficial to the political establishment.

“For example, specifically for Brussels and certain European politicians, such attacks towards Moscow and Gazprom are a way to shift responsibility for the difficult course of the energy crisis in Europe, which was, among other things, the result of a number of unsuccessful strategic decisions by the EU leadership in the field of energy” - said the analyst.

Frolov added that if politicians and officials in Europe did not try to disguise their failed actions by accusing Russia and Gazprom, they would have to take the blame for the energy crisis.

Nikita Danyuk, deputy director of the RUDN Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts, a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, also believes that the European officials themselves are to blame for the energy crisis in the EU, acting in this area without regard to the interests of their citizens and business representatives who benefit from using Russian gas.

“Europe has driven itself into an energy trap: instead of concluding long-term contracts with the Russian Federation, it abandoned this and switched to spot prices, which are formed on the exchange, which, from a market point of view, is now much more expensive.

But instead of admitting their mistakes, the EU prefers to blame Moscow for its failed energy policy, "the expert explained in an interview with RT.

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At the same time, Danyuk stressed that from a legal and moral point of view, Russia fulfills all its obligations to European consumers.

“Moreover, the Russian Federation has repeatedly said that it is ready to expand supplies within the framework of long-term contracts.

The statements of the West about the alleged "intrigues" of "Gazprom" are not only unfounded and unfounded, but are also direct slander, "the expert said.

And in such a "demonization of Moscow" are interested not only in Europe, but also in other Western states, primarily in the United States, said Danyuk.

“The goal of the Western world is to create an image of the Russian Federation as a toxic partner, which is allegedly trying to use energy as an instrument of political pressure.

However, in reality this is absolutely not the case - Russia is fulfilling all its obligations on gas supplies.

And the Russian authorities are on the right track, debunking Western accusations and myths, ”the analyst concluded.