Russia’s state-run gas giant Gazprom has warned some European clients that it can no longer guarantee supply to the continent, the latest salvo in an economic dispute between Moscow and Europe over the war in Ukraine.
and confirmed by two German energy companies Tuesday, was dated Thursday and retroactively declared force majeure on gas supplies back to June 14.
Gazprom told European customers that it was no longer responsible for any gas shortfalls because of “extraordinary circumstances,” Reuters reported, citing a copy of the letter. The legal move comes amid a mounting energy crisis in Europe, where many countries rely on Russian gas, even as they seek to squeeze Moscow economically.
Uniper, Germany’s largest importer of Russian gas, confirmed to The Washington Post that it had received a notice from Gazprom “in which the company claims force majeure retroactively for past and current shortfalls in gas deliveries,” a Uniper spokesman wrote in an email. “We consider this as unjustified and have formally rejected the force majeure claim.”
RWE, Germany’s largest power producer, also received a force majeure letter from Gazprom, spokeswoman Stephanie Schunck confirmed to The Post. She declined to comment further.The legal maneuver has raised concerns about the future of Russian gas supply to Europe at a time when tensions over energy security are already high.