"The situation with gas supplies and gas prices reaffirmed that Germany's inconsistent position on Nord Stream 2 was erroneous. A timely launch of this pipeline would have helped to avoid the problems with filling gas storage facilities and meeting the growing demand [on fuel]. Today Germans are facing the consequences of their own actions," Birichevsky said.
The downtime of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline depends on the position of investors, which include prominent European energy companies as well as the Russian energy giant Gazprom, Birichevsky added.
In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government and Gazprom to switch to ruble payments for gas deliveries to the countries that imposed sanctions on Russia over its special military operation in Ukraine.
Gazprom has already suspended gas deliveries to the importers in Bulgaria, Poland, Finland, and the Netherlands after they rejected the new payment arrangement.
Gazprom has already suspended gas deliveries to the importers in Bulgaria, Poland, Finland, and the Netherlands after they rejected the new payment arrangement.
Nord Stream 2 is a gas pipeline project with a capacity to carry 55 billion cubic meters per year, enabling gas transit from Russia across the Baltic Sea to Germany.