Kremlin: Only sanctions prevent the operation of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline

There is no obstacle to Russian exports natural gas to Europe via the pipeline Nord Stream 1 apart from the technological problems caused by Western sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out on Tuesday (8/30).

His statements Dmitry Peskov they took place just one day before another planned outage due to maintenance work.

The Russian energy giant Gazprom for its part it said it will close the pipeline for three days from tomorrow Wednesday (31/8) so that maintenance work can be carried out on a single pump assembly at the Portovaya compressor station.

The Kremlin spokesman was responding to a question about whether there are any guarantees that Gazprom will resume sending gas through Nord Stream 1 after the maintenance work.

“There are assurances that, apart from the technological problems caused by the sanctions, nothing is blocking the supply,” he said, as reported by the Athens News Agency.

Natural gas prices have soared in Europe to all-time highs amid tight supplies from Russia. It is only pumping gas through Nord Stream 1 at 20% of its capacity, citing equipment problems.

The European Union rejects Moscow’s version that problems with the turbine and sanctions are to blame. France today accused Moscow of using energy supplies as a “weapon of war” as Gazprom cut deliveries to one of the main French utilities, Engie.

Peskov also told reporters: “European countries, Canada, the USA, Britain have imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation, which do not allow normal maintenance and repair work to be carried out, and also do not allow legal registration of the return of parts and machinery to their places of operation”.

“There are no other obstacles for Russia to fulfill its obligations,” he said.