Russia suspended gas supplies via a major pipeline to Europe on Wednesday, intensifying the economic battle between Moscow and Brussels and raising the prospect of a recession and energy rationing in some of the region’s richest countries.
The outage through Nord Stream 1 is for maintenance and means no gas flows into Germany between 01:00 GMT on August 31 and 01:00 GMT on September 3, according to Russian energy giant Gazprom.
Data from the pipeline operator’s website showed flows dropped to zero between 02:00 and 03:00 GMT on Wednesday.
Increasing restrictions on European gas supplies would exacerbate an energy crisis that has already sent wholesale gas prices up more than 400 percent since August last year, causing a painful cost-of-living crisis for consumers, increasing costs for businesses and forcing governments to spend billions. to ease the burden.
And unlike last month’s 10-day maintenance of the pipeline, the new maintenance was announced just less than two weeks ago.
Moscow has already reduced supplies via Nord Stream 1 to 40 percent of its capacity in June and to 20 percent in July, blaming maintenance problems and sanctions it says prevent equipment and installations from being returned.
Gazprom said the new shutdown is necessary to carry out maintenance on the pipeline’s only remaining compressor.
Russia has completely cut off supplies to Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Poland, and reduced flows through other pipelines since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
(Archyde.com)
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Ukraine crisis
The lowest level for US gasoline contracts since before the Ukraine crisis
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
US gasoline futures settled at $2.6944 a gallon on Tuesday, the lowest closing level since February 18, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On the other hand, the average price of gasoline at gas stations in the United States recorded $ 2,844 per gallon today, which is far below the record level of $ 5,016 set in June, according to data from the American Automobile Companies Association, while the summer driving season approaches in the largest consumer For gasoline the world’s end.
natural gas futures contracts
Also, US natural gas futures fell more than 3%, on Tuesday, following a drop in European prices, to hit their lowest level in two weeks, on expectations of an increase in supplies in the United States.
On the first day of trading, gas contracts for October delivery fell 29.4 cents, or 3.1 percent, to settle on the NYMEX at $9.042 per million British thermal units, following hitting their lowest level since August 16 since earlier in the session.
Data from Refinitiv showed that gas production in the United States rose to 98.1 billion cubic feet per day on Monday, the highest level since August 8.
Wholesale gas prices fell in Britain and the Netherlands, while Europe approached the target levels for gas stocks with 80 percent full. Gas was traded around $81 per million thermal units in Europe and $69 in Asia.
(Archyde.com)
Nur-Sultan – Archyde.com
Kazakhstan announced on Saturday that it would halt all arms exports for a year amid the conflict in Ukraine and Western sanctions once morest Moscow.
The former Soviet republic, which also has effective economic relations with Moscow and Kiev, has avoided taking sides in the Ukraine crisis, while calling for its peaceful resolution.
The government of Kazakhstan did not say the reason for the decision to stop arms exports.
Kazakhstan produces a wide range of military equipment, including boats, armored vehicles, artillery, machine guns, night vision goggles, grenades, torpedoes and protective equipment. The government did not say that these weapons were exported.
India votes against Russia for the first time in the UN on the issue of Ukraine – Russia | Ukraine | United Nations | India | Ukraine Crisis
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Washington: India voted once morest Russia for the first time in the procedural vote held in the UN Security Council (UNSC). When Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was invited to address the meeting of the 15-member Security Council via video conference, Russia opposed it and India supported it.
The UNSC met on Wednesday to assess the six-month conflict in Ukraine. After the meeting began, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily A. Nebenzia requested a procedural vote on the participation of the President of Ukraine via video conference.
Nebenzia said Russia was not opposed to Zelensky’s involvement, but that the involvement should be personal. He said that the committee had decided to work virtually during the Covid pandemic but now the committee has returned to normal procedures.
Ferit Hoxha, the ambassador of Albania, argued that Ukraine is at war and in this situation the president needs to be here. He also supported Zelensky’s participation via video conference. The committee then allowed Zelensky to attend the meeting via video conference. Russia voted once morest it. 12 countries including India voted in favour. China abstained.
This is the first time that India has voted once morest Russia on the Ukraine issue since Russia launched military operations in Ukraine in February this year. India’s absence from the UN Security Council over Ukraine has angered the Western powers led by the US. Western countries, including the US, have imposed economic sanctions once morest Russia following its attack on Ukraine.
India has not yet criticized Russia’s military action once morest Ukraine. However, he had repeatedly asked both countries to resolve the issue through diplomatic talks and expressed support for all diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between the two countries. India is a non-permanent member of the UNSC.
English Summary: For First Time Ever, India Votes Against Russia Over Ukraine at UN