Vladimir Putin said it was “unfair” to blame Moscow for the spike in gas prices in Europe, as “Gazprom is fulfilling all its obligations” to supply gas.
Gazprom had to meet its obligations under long-term contracts before supplying gas to the spot market, and countries with long-term contracts – such as Germany – now have gas at much lower prices and can even resell gas to their neighboring countries at a profit, Putin said during the annual press conference.
Europe has created its own problems with gas and it must solve them, he said, adding that he suspects that some Russian gas was eventually resold to Ukraine.
“US response to Moscow proposals positive”
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Washington’s response to Moscow’s security proposals, which include Russia’s demand from NATO and the United States to end its military support for Ukraine, is “positive” and that Russia wants to avoid a war with Ukraine and the West.
“At the moment we are seeing a positive reaction, our American partners have told us that they are ready to start this discussion, these negotiations, from the beginning of the year in Geneva,” Vladimir Putin said during the annual press conference. that the future enlargement of the Atlantic Alliance is “unacceptable” by Russia.
Russia has denied US allegations that it is preparing to invade Ukraine next month and has called for Western guarantees, including a promise that there will be no NATO military activity in Eastern Europe and that NATO missiles could be deployed on Ukrainian soil.
Westerners have blamed Moscow for attacking Kiev as the Russian military rallied thousands of troops along the border with Ukraine, part of which has already been annexed by Moscow.
Moscow, which says it wants to defend its security against the “challenges” of Kiev and the West, presented two draft treaties last week, one to the United States and the other to NATO, outlining its demands. for de-escalation.
These plans prohibit NATO enlargement, mainly to Ukraine, and limit Western military cooperation in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, but do not impose similar measures on Russia.
“The ball is in their court. They have to answer for us,” Putin said, adding that representatives for the Geneva talks in early 2022 had already been appointed. “I hope the situation will develop in this direction,” he said.
With information from AMPE
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Source From: Capital
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