Russia ready to redirect energy exports from Europe to Asia

President of Russia Vladimir Putin said he would consider halting Russia’s energy supplies to Europe and redirecting them to Asian markets. The remarks come as the European Union moves to gradually phase out Russian gas, culminating in a total ban by 2027.

In an interview with VGTRK television in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin referred to European plans to stop energy purchases from Russia in stages. He said Europe intends to tighten restrictions on imports of Russian gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG). ‘They are still, as they just said, planning to impose limits on purchases of Russian gas, including LNG, within a month, with the last day on the 24th, starting on the 25th. And in a year, in 2027, further restrictions leading to a total ban,’ he said.

According to Putin, the situation would open opportunities for Russia to shift its energy exports to other markets deemed more profitable. ‘But now, another market is opening, and it may be more profitable for us to suspend supplies to the European market now, move to a market that is opening, and build ourselves there,’ he added.

Putin stressed that the idea is not political. ‘In this case, one could say this is just spontaneous thinking. I will certainly instruct the government to work with our companies on this matter,’ he explained.

He also emphasised that Russia has long been known as a reliable energy supplier to a range of countries, including Europe. ‘Russia has always and continues to be a reliable supplier of energy resources to all our partners, including, of course, European partners,’ he said.

Putin added that Russia remains ready to cooperate with countries that maintain stable energy ties, including several Eastern European states such as Slovakia and Hungary. ‘We will continue to work in exactly this way with partners that are also reliable partners, with countries in Eastern Europe, for example Slovakia and Hungary,’ he explained.

According to Putin, the current energy crisis is largely triggered by European energy policy, including sanctions against Russia and the approach to green energy. He also noted that higher global energy prices are influenced by various factors, including developments in the Middle East. ‘Why? Because the overall situation in the global market, including the oil market, and in this case the gas market, has seen buyers ready to purchase natural gas at higher prices, due in part to events in the Middle East, the closing of the Hormuz Strait, and so on,’ he said.

During the event, Putin also referred to the attack on a Russian gas tanker in the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday. He called the attack an act of terrorism that also triggered energy price increases. The Russian Transport Ministry had earlier reported a Russian LNG tanker was attacked near Maltese territorial waters, and blamed an unmanned Ukrainian vessel for the attack.

Putin also accused the Ukrainian government of harming the European Union through these actions. ‘It turns out the Kyiv regime is biting the hand that feeds it—the EU’s hand. The EU provides unlimited assistance to the Kyiv regime, with weapons and money. And Kyiv’s regime creates one problem after another for the EU,’ he said.

Additionally, Putin claimed that Ukraine, with support from several Western intelligence agencies, is planning sabotage against the Blue Stream and TurkStream gas pipelines. ‘We have informed our Turkish friends about this. We will see what happens in this area, but this is a very dangerous game, especially at the moment,’ he concluded.