Putin threatens to let Europe 'freeze' over winter, raising risk of energy rationing

Europe was already facing a hard and unpredictable wintertime erstwhile it came to its vigor supplies arsenic it looks to signifier retired each Russian imports.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin connected Wednesday again threatened to wholly halt each supplies, a determination which helium hinted would permission Europe to "freeze."

Russia has already halted state supplies to the region citing method issues connected the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, leaving the portion susceptible arsenic it tries to replenish vigor retention up of the colder months.

Responding to EU proposals to instrumentality terms caps connected Russian vigor imports, Putin told concern leaders successful Vladivostok that Russia could yet determine to rip up existing proviso contracts.

"Will determination beryllium immoderate governmental decisions that contradict the contracts? Yes, we conscionable won't fulfill them. We volition not proviso thing astatine each if it contradicts our interests," Putin said astatine the Eastern Economic Forum successful Russia's acold east.

"We volition not proviso gas, oil, coal, heating lipid — we volition not proviso anything," Putin said.

"We would lone person 1 happening near to do: arsenic successful the celebrated Russian fairy tale, we would fto the wolf's process freeze," helium said.

Russian paper Pravda describes the communicative arsenic involving a cunning fox who made a anserine wolf drawback food successful the frozen stream by putting his process into an crystal hole.

"The fox would hop astir the hopeless and bare wolf saying "freeze, freeze, the wolf's tail" until the crystal spread froze trapping the wolf successful the ice. Men from the colony past came and bushed the wolf for each the atrocious things that helium had done to them successful summer. The wolf struggled and escaped, but his process was near successful the frozen crystal hole," Pravda said.

Putin's menace to halt each supplies raises the hazard of vigor rationing successful Europe this winter. The EU has already called upon its members to voluntarily trim their state depletion by 15% successful the autumn and wintertime but that mightiness not beryllium capable to allay the request for restrictions connected state use.

A fig of European governments person announced measures to support citizens from rocketing vigor bills. In the meantime, Western nations are trying to enactment unit connected Russia's vigor revenues, which they accidental are backing the unprovoked penetration of Ukraine, by proposing terms caps connected Russian lipid and gas.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen connected Wednesday described the concern facing Europe arsenic "extraordinary ... due to the fact that Russia is an unreliable supplier and is manipulating our vigor markets."

She said the Commission would enactment guardant contiguous measures to assistance consumers, including a mandatory people for reducing energy usage astatine highest hours, a headdress connected revenues of companies producing energy with debased costs, and different plans to stock the load of vigor terms rises.

"Low c vigor sources are making unexpected revenues, which bash not bespeak their accumulation costs. It is present clip for consumers to payment from the debased costs of debased c vigor sources, similar renewables," von der Leyen said successful a statement, saying fossil substance companies should besides lend to easing pressures connected consumers.

"Oil and state companies person besides made monolithic profits. We volition truthful suggest a solidarity publication for fossil substance companies. Because each vigor sources indispensable assistance code this crisis."

Von der Leyen said vigor inferior companies indispensable beryllium supported to header with the volatility of the markets and projected a headdress connected Russian gas. "The nonsubjective present is precise clear. We indispensable chopped Russia's revenues which Putin uses to concern this atrocious warfare against Ukraine."

At the opening of the war, she noted that the EU imported astir 40% of its state from Russia. It had reduced that level down to 9% of its state imports, she said.

EU vigor ministers are acceptable to conscionable connected Friday to sermon the proposals outlined by the Commission.