Putin says gas supplies to Europe could be halted
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has spoken of a possible halt to gas supplies to European countries due to the approaching ban on purchases of Russian gas announced earlier by the European Union.
As reported by Censor.NET, he said this in an interview with propaganda media after a meeting with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in Moscow.
At the same time, Putin noted that no final decision has been made yet, saying it was more of a "thinking out loud" remark that will be discussed by the Russian government and companies.
Potential halt to supplies to Europe
The Russian dictator said that Russia could switch to other markets where prices are higher and "gain a foothold" there. He insisted that this has no political motive and is based solely on economic considerations. He also accused Ukraine of preparing sabotage attacks on the Blue Stream and TurkStream gas pipelines, recalling the previous sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines.
"If they are going to shut down supplies for us in a month anyway, it would be better to stop them ourselves and move to markets that are reliable partners," Putin said in the interview.
Context of EU sanctions and talks with Hungary
The European Union adopted its 19th package of sanctions against Russia in October 2025, including a ban on purchases of LNG and pipeline gas. The first restrictions on short-term contracts will take effect on April 25, 2026, while a full embargo is due to begin on January 1, 2027.
- On March 4, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto arrived in Moscow for talks on continuing energy supplies at unchanged prices and on humanitarian issues, including the return of two captive Hungarian citizens who fought on the side of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
