MOSCOW: Russia resumed vital gas shipments to Europe via Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline on Thursday after ten days of maintenance, but it remained unclear whether the Kremlin was still reeling from the energy crisis on the continent this winter. 

"It's working," said a Nord Stream spokesman, refusing to say how much gas was being delivered. Germany, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas, feared Moscow would shut down the pipeline after planned work and accused Moscow of using energy as a "weapon".

The confrontation came amid the worst tensions in many years due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Germany thinks Russia is restricting supplies as payment for Western sanctions related to the war.

Claus Müller of the Federal Network Agency said that by Thursday morning, gas flow was expected to return to 40% of pipeline capacity, the same low level as prior to maintenance work. He said on Twitter that "political security and a 60% reduction in (supply) since mid-June unfortunately persists."

Germany's continued reliance on Russian gas and clearly unfavorable signals from Moscow have added to the pressure on Europe's top economy. Factory closures and forced domestic temperature reductions can result in a complete cessation of imports or a sharp reduction in east-to-west flow. According to experts, a return of even 40% of supply will not be enough to prevent energy shortages in Europe this winter.

Supply disruptions, the IMF warned on Wednesday, could shrink Germany's GDP by 1.5% in 2022. In recent weeks, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline under the Baltic Sea has reduced flows into Germany by about 40% to Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom, with Siemens gas undergoing repairs in Canada. due to no turbine
According to reports, the repaired turbine is on its way to Russia and should not reach there after Sunday.

This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Gazprom will meet all of its delivery commitments. After talks with the presidents of Iran and Turkey, Putin told reporters in Tehran that "Gazprom has fulfilled, is fulfilling, and will fully fulfill its obligations."
However, he issued a warning that energy flows could drop to 20% of capacity from next week as a second gas turbine had to be sent for maintenance later this month.

As Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24 and the West retaliated by imposing sanctions on Moscow, Russia has begun to cut its gas shipments to prevent EU countries from restoring their reserves.
Two important German customers said this week that Gazprom has already attributed "forced" cuts to gas delivery in Europe, raising concerns about potential future disruptions.
A legal provision known as an "unforeseen event" enables businesses to avoid their contractual obligations when unforeseen circumstances arise.

The German government has rejected the turbine justification offered by Gazprom as an "excuse". Berlin acknowledges that it would be largely helpless to resist Russia's claim of force majeure to recover damages.
Official estimates show German gas reserves stood at around 65% as of Wednesday. According to experts, Germany will be seriously affected if supplies through Nord Stream 1 are not resumed before the return of cold weather.
The European Commission on Wednesday urged EU countries to cut their natural gas demand by 15% during the coming winter months and to give them exclusive rights to make up for the reduction in demand if Russia cuts gas lifelines. ,

Ursula von der Leyen, former German defense minister and chairman of the commission, told reporters: "Russia is blackmailing us.
In any case, whether it is a partial or complete cutoff of Russian gas, Europe needs to be prepared because Russia uses energy as a weapon.
German Economy Minister Robert Hebeck insisted that industry, as well as consumers, have to play their part to reduce Russia's power in the current impasse. Hebek has admitted that he bathes less to save energy.
Reducing gas use is "a decisive bit of leverage," he said. "We need to work on that as much as we can."

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