Putin proposes to start up the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to increase gas supply to Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed Tuesday night to launch the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline to increase gas supplies to Europe.

"We have another route prepared: it is the Nord Stream 2. It can be launched," Putin declared when talking about the possibilities to solve the energy crisis in Europe, as reported by the TASS news agency.

The commissioning of Nord Stream 2 is one of the ways to increase Russian gas supplies to Europe, although half of its capacity has already been allocated for domestic consumption, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalists, adding that this route is currently "problematic".

"A month and a half ago, in a conversation with the (German) chancellor, Olaf Scholz, we discussed this issue and I raised this issue, I said that Gazprom had assigned capabilities and has to do something about it, they cannot be in the air forever." said the Russian president.

"So, I warned that then we would use half of the volume designated for Nord Stream for consumption and domestic use, so even if we launch Nord Stream 2 tomorrow, it will not be 55 billion cubic meters per year, but exactly half," Putin added.

In this regard, Putin has stressed that the Russian gas company Gazprom has always fulfilled its gas supply obligations and will continue to do so.

"Gazprom has always fulfilled, fulfills and will continue to fulfill all its obligations," he said.

The Russian gas company Gazprom announced a month ago that it would reduce by 40 percent the supply it sent through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which connects Russia with Germany, although it attributed it to delays in the repairs of several pieces of equipment by the firm. German Siemens.

Regarding the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, Putin has indicated that if Russia does not recover a turbine, this route can be used to pump only 30 million cubic meters of gas per day instead of the current 60 million.

"If another one arrives, fine, two of them will work. And if not, only one will, which only has 30 million cubic meters a day," he explained.

On the other hand, Putin has urged this Tuesday to lift Western restrictions on Russian cereals to achieve progress in the export of Ukrainian agricultural production, currently blocked in the country by the Kremlin offensive.

"We will facilitate the export of Ukrainian cereals, but on the basis that all restrictions related to air deliveries for the export of Russian cereals are lifted," the Russian president has sentenced, as reported by the aforementioned agency.

In this context, he said: "The Americans have practically lifted restrictions on Russian fertilizer supplies to the world market. If they sincerely want to improve the situation on world food markets, I hope the same will happen with export supplies." of Russian grain. We are ready, right now. Our export potential is 30 million tons of grain, and it will be 50 million tons depending on the results of the current year."