President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russian gas could still be supplied to Europe through one remaining intact part of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline but the ball was now in the EU's court on whether it wanted that to happen.
An international investigation is under way into explosions last month that ruptured the Russian-built Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines on the bed of the Baltic Sea.
Putin said it was possible to repair the pipelines but that Russia and Europe should decide their fate.
Three of the Nord Stream pipelines are damaged. That leaves only one line of Nord Stream 2, which has an annual capacity of 27.5 billion cubic metres, functional.
Russia, Putin said, could open the gas taps on that line if Europe wanted it to.
The pipelines, which have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis, have been leaking gas into the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark and Sweden.
Europe suspects an act of sabotage that Moscow quickly sought to pin on the West, suggesting the United States stood to gain.
"The act of sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 is an act of international terrorism aimed at undermining energy security of the entire continent by blocking supplies of cheap energy," he said, alleging that the U.S. wants to force Europe to switch to importing more expensive liquefied natural gas.
"Those who want to rupture ties between Russia and the EU are behind the acts of sabotage on the Nord Stream," he said.
While Russia is still pumping gas to Europe via Ukraine, the explosions on the Baltic pipelines have exacerbated acute energy shortages faced by Europe before the winter season.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline has never brought natural gas to Europe because Germany prevented the flows from ever starting just before Russia launched military action in Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Before the explosions, Russia had cut off the parallel Nord Stream 1 pipeline at the center of an energy standoff with Europe. Russia has blamed technical problems for the stoppage, but European leaders call it an attempt to divide them over their support for Ukraine.
Plunging Russian gas supplies have caused prices to soar, driving inflation, pressuring governments to help ease the pain of sky-high energy bills for households and businesses and raising fears of rationing and recession.
Putin said that one of the two links of the Nord Stream 2 has remained pressurized and appears to be ready for service, adding that its capacity stands at 27 billion cubic meters a year. He noted that if checks prove that the pipeline is safe to operate, Russia stands ready to use it to pump gas to Europe.
The Russian leader also said that Russia could increase the capacity of its gas exports to Türkiye and eventually turn into a hub for gas supplies to Europe.
