The European Commission, cornered after the blockade of supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, embraces the hard line. But the Kremlin’s decree is ambiguous and many importers are tempted to give in to Gazprom’s demands
by Sissi Bellomo
(EPA)
Stopping Russian gas in Poland and Bulgaria may not leave us cold next winter, as long as the problem remains limited. But it has certainly opened a new front of political division in Europe, which could be difficult to heal.
At the center is the issue of payments in rubles, which like a time bomb exploded with a delayed burst when Gazprom followed up on the threats from the Kremlin, turning off the taps on customers who refused to follow the new instructions …
