ENERGY AS A WEAPON

Zelensky Says Russia Is Waging an ‘Overt Gas War’ Against Europe

His comments came after Gazprom slashed Germany’s supply by around a fifth.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Tuesday that the Kremlin is waging an “overt gas war” in an effort to disrupt Europe’s united opposition to Putin’s invasion. His comments came as the Russian state-owned energy supplier Gazprom announced a drastic reduction in gas deliveries to Europe, citing technical issues with a turbine. The cut means that around 20 percent less gas will flow to Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline. The EU disputed the energy company’s account of the reduction, which came after supplies had already dropped to 40 percent last month. “All this is done by Russia deliberately to make it as difficult as possible for Europeans to prepare for winter,” Zelensky said. “This is an overt gas war that Russia is waging against a united Europe—this is exactly how it should be perceived. And they don’t care what will happen to the people, how they will suffer—from hunger due to the blocking of ports or from winter cold and poverty.”