MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2022) The European Union is capable of coping with reduced gas deliveries from Russia, EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said on Wednesday.
"The past months gave us an indication of our resilience and capacity to react to diminishing gas flows from Russia. The market reaction in January, with increased imports of LNG, has showed that Europe can count on a diversified and fully functioning gas infrastructure," she told the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research, Telecoms & Energy.
Last month, the EU imported record volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), while Russia remained among the three largest LNG suppliers, Simson went on, adding that the EU still has spare capacities for additional gas supplies.
"We think that the available gas stocks in the EU and our good network of LNG terminals will protect us against major security of supply problems. However, it is very important that we continue monitoring the situation, and carefully prepare at regional and national level for any scenario," she said.
Tensions between Moscow and Brussels have escalated in the past few months over an escalation in the Ukrainian crisis, with the EU pledging severe economic sanctions against Russia in the event of an attack on Ukraine, an allegation firmly denied by Moscow. The punitive measures would target Russian projects in the gas sector, in particular, Brussels said.
