Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened on Wednesday that he might restrict the gas supplies to the Europe and redirect them to Asia. Putin said that he may instruct the government to consider halting deliveries to Russian energy resources to Europe.
Speaking in an interview with Russian broadcaster VGTRK in Moscow, he emphasised that Europe itself plans to completely refuse Russian energy resources. Europe had already planned to stop buying Russian energy by 2027. The Russian president emphasised that there is no political context in this proposal. Putin noted that Russia has always been and remains a reliable supplier of energy resources for all its partners, for European ones too.
“They are still, as they just said, planning to introduce restrictions on the purchase of Russian gas, including liquefied natural gas, in a month, with the last day being the 24th, starting on the 25th. And in a year, in 2027, further restrictions up to a complete ban,” he said.
Putin added: “But now, other markets are opening up, and perhaps it would be more advantageous for us to stop supplies to the European market right now, to move to those markets that are opening up and establish ourselves there.”
Russia could halt gas supplies to Europe ‘right now,’ amid a spike in energy prices triggered by the Iran crisis, President Putin warned, linking the possible decision to the European Union wanting to ban purchases of Russian gas and liquefied natural gas https://t.co/lRKY1A6XYg pic.twitter.com/PLkqFHPdhv
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 5, 2026
“This is, in this case, so to speak, thinking out loud. I will definitely instruct the government to work on this issue together with our companies,” he said.
Putin noted that Russia has always been and remains “a reliable supplier of energy resources for all our partners, including, by the way, for European ones.”
Read more:With Strait of Hormuz shut, Pakistan requests Saudi Arabia alternative oil-supply route
“And we will continue to work precisely in this mode with those partners who are themselves our reliable counterparties—with such countries in Eastern Europe, for example, as Slovakia and Hungary,” he said.
Putin pointed out that no one has cut supplies, yet the prices have increased.
“Why? Because of the overall situation on world markets, including oil markets, and in this case gas markets. Because clients have appeared who are ready to purchase the same natural gas at higher prices, in this case due to the events in the Middle East, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and so on,” he said while referring to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the crisis in the Middle East.
According to his assessment, the current energy crisis was provoked by the erroneous policies of the European authorities in the energy sector, their abuse of the green agenda and sanctions against Russia. Putin pointed out that while no one has cut supplies, yet the prices have soared. Ukraine described Tuesday’s attack on the Russian gas tanker in the Mediterranean Sea as a terrorist act, noting that such assaults also contribute to price surge.
