
Gazprom’s latest announcement to further reduce flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline is a "politically motivated step," European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting with EU energy ministers in Brussels.
"There is no technical reason to do so. This is a politically motivated step, and we have to be ready for that," Simson said.
"And exactly for that reason, the pre-emptive reduction of our gas demand is a wise strategy."
Some context: On Monday, the Russian state-owned energy company said it will further reduce gas flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Wednesday, as it halts another turbine for repairs. The pipeline is a vital artery linking Russia's vast gas reserves to Europe via Germany.
The daily capacity from "7:00 am (Moscow time) July 27 will be up to 33 million cubic meters," the company said in a statement. Nord Stream 1 has a capacity of around 160 million cubic meters per day.
Simson said that Gazprom’s announcement "underlined once again that we have to be ready for the possible supply cuts from Russia at any moment."
"We have to take care of our preparedness; we have to tackle this crisis right now and together. And by doing so, we will reduce our demand pre-emptively," she continued.
Simson added that she expects EU ministers to have "a political agreement" by the end of Tuesday.
Last week, the European Commission laid out its plan to reduce gas use in Europe by 15% until next spring.




