By aggravating energy problems, Russia is putting pressure on Europe - former EU energy commissioner

RIGA - By aggravating energy problems, Russia is putting pressure on Europe so that it does not help Ukraine, which Russia has attacked, former European Union Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs told TV3 this morning.

Piebalgs noted that this tactic is bearing some fruit for Russia, because the Kremlin's narratives can be heard quite well in the rhetoric of the European extreme right and extreme left parties.

The former commissioner is convinced that Russia is behind the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipeline, and it was another step to increase tension in the energy sector. He pointed out that gas had not flowed through these pipelines for some time, so there was no big impact on the price.

Now gas from Russia can flow through Ukraine, where the capacity would be sufficient, but this is not being done. Thus, Europe already effectively lives without Russian gas, which accounts for only 7.5 percent of current supplies.

Piebalgs does not see the possibility of completely abandoning all gas use in Europe in a very short time. At the same time, he does not see that there will be problems with gas supplies to Europe in the long term, although there are still problems to be solved in the short term.

Gas prices will go down, but not to such a level "that we feel comfortable", emphasized Piebalgs, noting that in such circumstances it will be important for the national governments to provide adequate assistance to residents.