Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that his country
has not stopped supplying energy resources to Europe and maintained that it was
the European Union itself that decided to reduce or reject its purchases.
During his remarks, Putin challenged the narrative that
Russia deliberately disrupted energy supplies to Europe. The Russian leader
stated that Moscow remained willing to provide resources, but that European
countries chose to stop purchasing them, anticipating that the restrictions
would negatively impact the Russian economy.
"We haven't stopped. It's simply Europe that has
refused to buy them," Putin stated.
The Russian president further argued that this decision
ultimately had negative consequences for the European countries themselves. In
his words, Europe sought to provoke a decline in the Russian economy, but ended
up "punishing itself."
The statement comes amid deep tensions between Russia and
European countries and the transformation of the continent's energy market,
particularly following the war in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed
on Moscow.
Putin's statement reflects the Russian government's
explanation of the reasons for the reduction in energy trade with Europe and
should be distinguished from the interpretations and data provided by European
authorities and other independent sources.