Ukraine War: Russia trying to divide allies using gas - Poland

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the era of Russian fossil fuel in Europe is coming to an end.

Her comments came after the Russian energy giant said it had cut off gas to Poland and Bulgaria.

Ms von der Leyen said the move showed Russia as an energy supplier.

Political leaders in Warsaw andSofia said that Moscow's move amounted to blackmail.

The Kremlin claimed that Russia was forced into the action because of unfriendly steps taken against it by the Western nations.

Poland's deputy foreign minister, Marcin Przydacz, said that Russia was trying to foster divisions between Western allies.

Poland and Bulgaria have refused to pay for gas in roubles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered all energy payments to be made in the Russian currency.

The move to shore up the faltering currency which has been battered by Western sanctions has been fiercely resisted by European nations.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Gazprom said it had stopped gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria in line with the decree issued by Mr Putin.

The company warned the countries that any withdrawal of gas intended for other European nations would cause supplies to be reduced by an equivalent amount.

The right to seek compensation and all available contractual and legal means will be used by the Polish state gas company.

Poland's President said that appropriate legal steps will be taken against the company.

Warsaw has said it can get gas from other sources, despite the fact that it bought half of its gas imports from Gazprom in the first quarter of this year.

Poland and Bulgaria are being targeted because of their refusal to pay for gas in Russian roubles.

The Prime Minister of Poland says that cutting gas supplies is retaliation for the Polish sanctions.

The supply cut is a challenge for the rest of the year, but Polish consumers will still have gas from their stove this morning.

In the first three months of the year, the company bought less gas from Gazprom than it did in the whole of last year. A lot of gas to replace in one go.

The Polish government has been able to reduce its dependence on Gazprom by building a terminal in Swinoujscie, where it gets gas from Qatar.

There is increasing capacity with neighbours. Poland's gas storage is about three quarters full and consumer demand is lower over the summer.

Poland needs to find alternative supplies for the rest of the year in a tight global market.

By the end of the year, Poland will be able to directly import gas from Norway, replacing Russian deliveries.

The Prime Minister of Bulgaria said that the country was reviewing all of its contracts with Gazprom, including for the transit of Russian gas to Serbia and Hungary.

Alexander Nikolov, the country's Energy Minister, accused Russia of using gas as a political and economic weapon in the current war.

No restrictions on gas consumption are currently required for Bulgaria, despite the fact that it relies on more than 90 percent of its gas supply from Gazprom.

Ms von der Leyen emphasized that the bloc was prepared for this scenario, despite the fact that the move was unjust and unacceptable.

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The leader of the EU hit out against the reports that 10 European energy companies are preparing to make payments for gas in Russia, and that four of them have already done so.

She said such moves would be high risk for the corporations and would constitute a violation of the sanctions.

Ms von der Leyen said that their guidance was very clear.

While the EU has been firm that it will not comply with Mr Putin's demands that payments be made in roubles, some European nations, including Slovakia and Hungary have reached workaround deals with Gazprom.

The countries will pay into a euro-denominated account with a subsidiary of the energy giant.

Mr Peskov wouldn't say how many other countries have agreed to do this.

The decision to cut off gas supplies would have a very damaging effect on Russia, according to the UK deputy prime minister.

He said it would lead to Russia becoming an economic pariah.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff accused Russia of beginning the gas blackmail of Europe.

The EU should impose an embargo on energy resources in order to deprive the Russians of their energy weapons, according to the man.

The speaker of the lower house of Russia's parliament praised the move by Gazprom and urged it to take similar action against other unfriendly countries.

Warsaw said it had taken some decisions many years ago to prepare for such a situation, and that the underground gas storage was almost 80% full.

Europe depends on Russia for more than a third of its gas needs and it has a monopoly on the supplies of the gas.