Finland’s natural gas supply from Russia was cut off on Saturday, Finland’s state-owned energy company Gasum said, after the Nordic country refused to pay Gazprom’s supplier in rubles.
Natural gas deliveries to Finland under the Gasum supply contract have been delayedthe company said in a statement, adding that gas will now be supplied from other sources through the Balticconnector gas pipeline, which connects Finland to Estonia.
The Finnish group said on Friday that it had been informed by Russian giant Gazprom about the disruption of deliveries on Saturday.
In April, Gazprom requested that all future payments for gas deliveries on its exports be paid in rubles rather than euros, but Gasum denied this request, and the group announced on Tuesday that it was seeking this of arbitration to justice.
If gas represents only 8% of the energy consumed in Finland, what the Nordic countries use comes mainly from Russia.
However, Gasum made sure he could get gas from other suppliers and he would chase usually his activities.
Other alternatives
Finland already announced plans on Friday to have no Russian gas next winter, particularly the announcement of a ten-year lease, along with neighboring Estonia, of a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal.
Some countries that refused to pay in rubles in order not to support the Russian economy during the war in Ukraine, such as Poland and Bulgaria, have already had Gazprom cut their gas.
The announcement came days after the suspension of Russia’s electricity exports to Finland, due to payment problems.
Finland and its Swedish neighbor decided to joinNATO because of Russia’s offensive against Ukraine, judging that Moscow was a threat when for decades, especially throughout the Cold War, the two countries chose not to align.
Finland specifically shares about 1300 kilometers of borders with Russia.
Moscow has already warned Helsinki that a formal application for membership ofNATO ay a serious mistake, its consequences will have far -reaching consequences.
Russia justifies its attack on Ukraine in particular by getting closer to its western neighborNATObelieving it posed a threat existential for his safety.
Source: Radio-Canada