Zelensky believes that Russia reduces the flow of gas to Europe to make it difficult to prepare for winter

MADRID, 26 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, has assured this Monday that Russia is reducing the flow of gas to Europe to make it "as difficult as possible" for Europeans to prepare for the winter, and has urged his partners to "return the blow".

"Today we saw another gas threat to Europe. Even with the concession of the Nord Stream turbine, Russia is not going to resume gas supplies to European countries, as it is obliged by contract. Russia does all this specifically so that Europeans make it as difficult as possible for them to prepare for winter," the Ukrainian president said in his daily message to the country's population.

Zelenski has described the announcement made this Monday by the Russian gas company Gazprom to cut gas supply by half again through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline as "an open gas war".

"This is an open gas war that Russia is waging against a united Europe - this is exactly how it should be perceived. And they don't care what will happen to the people, how they will suffer: from starvation due to blocked ports or from cold of winter and poverty," added the President of Ukraine.

In this sense, the Ukrainian head of state has urged his European partners to "strike back" by way of increasing sanctions.

"Don't think about sending another turbine, but tightening sanctions. Do everything you can to limit Russian revenues not only from gas and oil, but also from remaining exports. And break commercial ties with Russia as much as possible, because every tie is a potential means of exerting pressure on Russia," Zelensky said.

"A terrorist state needs Europe's gas blackmail, which only gets worse every month, to make life worse for all Europeans. And this can actually be seen as an incentive for the eighth EU sanctions package to be significantly stronger." than the seventh recently approved," he added.