By delivering Poland and Ukraine, does Germany show Putin that she also knows how to play with the Yamal gas pipeline?

It has been six days this Sunday that the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline which usually sees Russian gas to Western Europe refers gas in the opposite direction to Poland, according to data from the German network operator Gascade, a CO-German-Russian company with Gazprom with capital.

This Sunday, in a television statement, Sergei Kouprianov, spokesperson for Gazprom, a gas company completely controlled by the Russian state, resumed the assertion of Vladimir Putin, last Thursday, according to which Germany is manipulating the flowYamal-Europe pipeline gas.This 4 -long pipeline.000 km starts from Russia, crosses the Belarus and Poland to reach Germany.

The behavior of Germany deemed "not very rational" by Russia

Kouprianov estimated that this behavior of Germany aimed at reselling from Poland to gas which it had bought from Russia, was, in full prices, not very "rational".According to him, the prices of these German deliveries are "clearly higher than those of the volumes delivered by Gazprom", Germany being accused by Moscow to contribute to the rise in prices.

But, while the gas circulates from Russia to Germany, how can it send gas to Poland located upstream of the gas pipeline?Kouprianov explains:

Gas micro-cuts as a warning in Berlin

However, Tuesday, December 21, it is Germany which surprised that part of the Russian gas has not arrived in Europe since the previous weekend-as if, explains Lionel Bellanger on France Inter that day,Moscow passed "in punishment mode just before a cold wave announced on Europe".Or rather in the warning mode, Moscow, which can be tempted, by micro-cuts of gas, to weigh on the negotiations in progress within the new German government these days, where the question of the commissioning of the pipelineNord Stream 2 is subject to conflict between the new Chancellor Olaf Scholz (in office since December 8) which has favorable since its creation and its Green Vice-Chancellor, Robert Habeck, who is opposed to it as part of the sanctions on the fileUkrainian.For the time being, in Germany, it is the Federal Networks Agency (La Bundesnetur) which is supposed to have the hand, it which announced in mid-November that it suspended the authorization procedure due to a legal obstacleand that she would not make her decision before July 2022.

Wednesday, December 23, it was also the representation with the European Union of Poland-Pays totally opposed to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, it must be specified-, which accused Moscow of having stopped its deliveries via the Yamal-Europe pipelineBetween Russia, Poland and Germany, taxing "manipulation".

An assertion firmly contested by the spokesperson for the Russian gas company when he speaned on the Russian state chain already cited.

As a reminder, last Thursday, during his traditional annual television intervention, Russian President Vladimir Putin had himself explained that, if Moscow did not make new exports via this gas pipeline, it was for lack of European orders.

On this point, it was approved by the German Energy Ministry which, this Sunday, said that the long-term delivery contracts with Moscow were respected, and that there were "no signs of blockagessupply ".

However, this same ministry making no comments on Russian claims concerning German gases to Poland and Ukraine.

This does not prevent the continuation of the investigation launched in October by the European Commission on the role of the main EU gas suppliers in the flambé of gas prices.An investigation that the European Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson had confirmed on Tuesday October 26, during a meeting of European energy ministers.Gazprom, which holds 40% of the European gas market, was not cited by name, although it was clearly the first aimed by the European executive, according to Echo.

This horrifying flight prices, with which Western Europe has faced for several months, is due to several factors: a very cold 2020-2021 winter, the post-pandemic economic recovery, a contribution too paced in renewable energies becauseToo low winds, but also geopolitical tensions between the main supplier, Russia, and its customers.

However, if in this context of arrival of winter temperatures, gas prices in Europe broke a new record on Tuesday (at 187.785 euros, a first), Thursday, December 23, they underwent a clear correction, the European gas reference market, the TTF (Title Transfer Facility) Dutch, falling from 19.60% to 139.00 euros per megawatt hour (MWH), finding a price comparable to the start of the week.

Despite this lull, the European gas course remains seven times higher than that of the start of the year.

North Stream 2, Ukraine, NATO...

The gas war is therefore not a view of the mind.With the surge in gas prices, not only the state company Gazprom garnered record profits, but also, the Russian president, that some have already baptized the "gas tsar", pushes his pawns to make NATO back downAccused of walking on her flower beds in Ukraine.

If the Westerners suspect Russia of limiting its deliveries to put pressure on Europeans and obtaining the case in several files, including the launch of the new Russo-German North Stream 2 gas pipeline, they also accuse Moscow of aggressive hints against Ukraine,of which it has already annexed part of the territory, the Russian army having massaged some 175.000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine.

Moscow sees things differently, saying, on the contrary, wanting to ensure its security in the face of kyiv "provocations" and Westerners, in reference to the possible membership of Ukraine to NATO: "How would the United States react if the We put missiles on the Canadian border? "Exclaimed the Russian president in response to journalists on the probability of a war.In fact, the Russian president presented two treaties last week, one destined in the United States and the other in NATO, summarizing his requirements for a de-escalation.

Poutine calms the game

This Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin had calmed the game by judging Washington's reaction to Moscow's security proposals "NATO and the United States will stop military support for Ukraine.

And yesterday, Saturday, confirming a little more this welcome deemed "positive", Vladimir Putin ended up withdrawing his troops after more than a month of military climbing on the Ukrainian border.So far, neither Europe nor Washington wanted to give in to the red line drawn up by Russia that constitutes the entry of Ukraine to NATO.

This Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quoted by the TASS agency, said that Russia examined NATO's proposal inviting it to start talks on its expectations in terms of security on January 12.

The Kremlin mainly requires that no additional troop or military equipment be deployed by NATO outside the countries which constituted the alliance in May 1997 - before the start of the east expansion - except in exceptional cases and in agreementwith Moscow.

Read also 3 Mncrise in Ukraine: Washington agrees to negotiate, Moscow takes off his troops

(with AFP, Reuters, Euronews, Ria Novosti, Rossiya-1)

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