IEA Head Says Europe Could Face Total Shutdown of Russian Gas Supplies

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European Union needs to be prepared for the fact that Russian may halt gas supplies completely by winter, Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said on Wednesday.

"Europe should be ready in case Russian gas is completely cut off. The nearer we are coming to winter, the more we understand Russia’s intentions. I believe the cuts are geared towards avoiding Europe filling storage, and increasing Russia's leverage in the winter months," Birol told the Financial Times.

Measures already taken by European countries to reduce gas shortages, such as reopening old coal power plants, have been justified by the scale of the crisis despite fears of rising CO2 emissions, Birol added.

However, European governments are still not taking enough action, Birol warned. In particular, they need to consider postponing the closure of nuclear power plants, according to the IEA head.

A gas burner of a stove is pictured in London, on July 31, 2008

© AFP 2023 / SHAUN CURRY

On 24 February, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk requested help to defend them from attacks by Ukrainian troops. In response, the United States, the EU, and other Western allies have imposed comprehensive sanctions against Russia, including on its energy, banking, and logistics sectors. Some European countries claimed recently that they had experienced reduced flows of gas from Russia.