Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled down on threats to cut off all energy supplies to Western countries if they impose price caps on its oil and gas exports.

Eastern Economic Forum In Vladivostok

Putin is at the Eastern Economic Forum.

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If price caps are imposed on the country's energy exports, Russia will walk away from its supply contracts, according to Putin.

Putin said that the west would be frozen like the tail of a wolf in a Russian fairy tale.

Putin slammed European calls for a price cap on Russia's energy exports, saying they were stupid and counter productive.

The Russian leader blamed Western nations for the closing of the gas conduit, his first comment on the matter.

If the West lifts sanctions and the company that maintains the equipment comes back with the turbine that was damaged, the line could be restored as soon as tomorrow, according to Putin.

The Kremlin warned last week after the Group of Seven countries said they had agreed on a price cap for purchases of Russian oil.

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There are deals with China Russia will not be affected by a drop in gas exports to Europe. Putin said that the state-owned energy firm had agreed on key details for a deal with China. The Russian ambassador to Beijing said that the Russian president will meet his Chinese counterpart on his first trip abroad since the Covid-19 outbreak.

Tangent

After accusing Western countries of "brazen deception" over where supplies were actually going, Putin threatened to tear up the deal. Putin said that most of the grain exported by Ukraine was going to the EU and not the world's poor countries. Food prices have gone up because of Russia's invasion.

Key Background

Russia is a major supplier of energy. Europe depends on Russian imports for its energy needs and supply changes stemming from the war in Ukraine has caused a crisis throughout the region. A major source of European gas, the Nord Stream 1 line between Russia and Germany, has been closed indefinitely due to a dispute between the two countries. European officials have accused Moscow of using its energy resources to retaliate against the Western sanctions against it. The Kremlin does not agree with the idea that it is playing politics with its energy and that sanctions are to blame for the shutdown.

The G-7 imposed a price cap on Russian oil.

After Putin Halts Gas Flows to Europe, the euro slides to a 20-year low.

It is the first foreign trip by China's president since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

If Western price caps are imposed, Putin says he won't supply energy.