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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Russia Europe Gas (TV)
HEADLINE: US, EU Warn Against Giving in to Russian ‘Gas Blackmail’
TEASER: Russian state-owned Gazprom cut supplies to Poland and Bulgaria after they refused to pay in rubles
PUBLISHED AT: Thursday, 04/28/2022
BYLINE: Henry Ridgwell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: London
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Ridgwell
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: BR, Holly Franko
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Teams, Reuters, APTN
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB _X_ TV _X_ RADIO __
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VID APPROVED BY:
TYPE: VPKGN
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[The European Union has warned its members that paying for Russian gas in rubles would breach sanctions on Moscow. Russia on Wednesday cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. As Henry Ridgwell reports, some E.U. states have set up Russian bank accounts to try to work around the sanctions.]]
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF RUSSIAN GAS PIPELINES))
((NARRATOR))
Russia has demanded that what it calls ‘unfriendly’ European countries pay their gas bills in rubles – seen as a way to prop up the Russian currency in the face of Western sanctions.
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF POLAND PM AT GAS COMPRESSOR STATION))
Poland and Bulgaria refused – so the Russian state-owned firm Gazprom said Wednesday it had cut their supply. Poland was unperturbed.
((Mateusz Morawiecki, Polish Prime Minister (in Polish) ))
“Thanks to our actions, Poland will not need Russian gas at all from the fall. But we will also deal with this blackmail, with this gun at the head, so that the Poles will not feel it.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF BULGARIA PM IN UKRAINE))
((NARRATOR))
Bulgaria’s prime minister – visiting the devastated town of Borodyanka in Ukraine Thursday – said his country could cope without Russian gas.
Poland and Bulgaria had declined to extend their gas contracts with Russian state-owned Gazprom beyond this year. Both are diversifying their supplies of pipeline and liquified natural gas or LNG.
((Tom Marzec-Manser, Head of Gas Analytics at ICIS)) ((via Teams – no courtesy needed))
“Poland’s going to get a new pipeline directly connecting it to Norway. There’s a second pipeline between Greece and Bulgaria which will specifically carry Azerbaijani gas.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF RUSSIAN GAS PIPELINES))
((NARRATOR))
But many European states continue to import Russian gas. Europe says the contracts stipulate the payments are made in euros or dollars.
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF GAZPROM HQ, GAZPROM BANK))
Several gas companies – including those from Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia – have, at Moscow’s insistence, opened accounts with Gazprom Bank in Switzerland. The contracts are paid in euros but immediately converted into rubles.
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF SCHOLZ))
Germany’s chancellor said the country cannot risk losing Russian gas supplies in the short-term.
((Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor (in German) ))
“Any interruption would have consequences for the economic situation. That is clear and the government is also very clear about that.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF VON DER LEYEN))
((NARRATOR))
The European Union Wednesday warned members against giving in to what it called Russian blackmail.
((Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President (in English) ))
“Companies with such contracts should not accede to the Russian demands. This would be a breach of the sanctions. So, a high risk for the companies.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF GAZPROM))
((NARRATOR))
It’s not yet clear if those gas companies will face penalties for routing payments via Gazprom Bank.
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF BIDEN))
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. was helping European allies to diversify gas supplies.
((Joe Biden, U.S. President))
“We will not let Russia intimidate or blackmail their way out of these sanctions. We will not allow them to use their oil and gas to avoid consequences for their aggression.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF RUSSIA GAS PIPELINES))
((NARRATOR))
European nations say they are making preparations in case Russia turns off the gas taps. But analysts say such a move would also cost the Kremlin hundreds of billions of dollars a year.
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateApril 28, 2022 20:43 EDT
BylineHenry Ridgwell
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
