Maxim Semetov | Reuters Russia’s Gazprom has declared force majeure on gas supplies to Europe to at least one major customer, according to a Gazprom letter dated July 14 and seen by Reuters on Monday. The letter said Gazprom, which has a monopoly on Russian gas exports via pipelines, could not meet its supply obligations due to “extraordinary” circumstances beyond its control. It said force majeure, a clause invoked when a business is hit by something beyond its control, applies from deliveries starting June 14. A trade source said the letter concerned supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, a major supply route to Germany and beyond. Gazprom had no immediate comment. The move is likely to escalate tensions between Russia and the West over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.” The European Union, which has imposed sanctions on Moscow, aims to end its use of Russian fossil fuels by 2027, but wants supplies to continue for now as it moves away from Russian supplies. Russian gas supplies have been cut through major routes, including through Ukraine and Belarus and through Nord Stream 1 under the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 1 is under maintenance.
