The Kremlin behaved 'like a drug dealer' over gas supplies, Polish PM says

The Kremlin behaved "like a cause dealer" erstwhile it comes to Europe's state supplies, according to Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

"Initially the state [from Russia] was expected to beryllium precise cheap, but the existent terms of the state we present know. The existent terms of the state is besides the humor of soldiers and people, children and women successful Ukraine and the existent terms of state is the existent harsh wintertime coming successful Europe," helium said.

The Kremlin did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Russia halted state flows to Europe past month, sparking the region's biggest vigor situation successful decades.

Speaking to CNBC's Charlotte Reed successful an exclusive interrogation Thursday, Morawiecki said Europe's existent vigor issues were "consequences of a precise incorrect policy, disastrous policy, which was led by Germany."

The Polish person made the comments successful Prague arsenic 44 European leaders met to sermon the warfare successful Ukraine and Europe's vigor crisis. It is the first gathering of a caller group called the European Political Community.

"Lack of gas, precise costly prices of state and energy each implicit Europe – this is the existent terms of the statement betwixt Germany and Russia," Morawiecki said.

Poland, on with Belgium, Italy and Greece, has drafted a program for a state "price corridor" crossed Europe successful an effort to bring down soaring prices.

The front-month state price astatine the Dutch TTF hub, a European benchmark, was trading astir 160 euros ($156) per megawatt hr Friday. That's implicit 4 times higher than a twelvemonth ago, but disconnected its highest of adjacent to 350 euros in late August.

The state terms corridor, "should enactment arsenic a circuit breaker and disincentive to speculation. It is not meant to suppress prices astatine an artificially debased level," according to the draught proposal, arsenic reported by Reuters.

Other countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, are thought to reason the plan, informing that capping prices could person antagonistic impacts connected vigor security.

EU leaders are owed to see imaginable caps to state prices astatine the Prague acme Friday.

"This is our corporate problem," Morawiecki said. "It cannot beryllium so, that 1 country, which is the richest and the astir developed successful Europe similar Germany ... tin artifact everything which is present happening."

"We don't privation to beryllium patronised by immoderate countries which past behave successful a wholly antithetic mode than they were expected to bash conscionable before," helium added.

Also speaking successful Prague, EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the bloc needed to supply a agreed effect to the vigor crisis.

"There is request for an EU-wide state terms cap," Metsola said.

She said that EU subordinate states could beryllium fixed much clip if necessary, but that it was important for countries not to "outbid each other."

"I deliberation this is the mode to beryllium capable to bring the prices down and halt speculation, and astatine the extremity of the time amusement Putin he's not the 1 to dictate to america who pays and however we wage our bills," she added.