Brussels has come up with a new five-point plan, which also includes a price cap on Russian gas. Let's use the word sanction instead of the price cap and it will be easier to understand. They have to hurry, as there will be an election in Italy on the 25th, and the new Italian government, which is expected to be pro-peace, is no longer certain to support these suicidal sanctions, writes political scientist Zoltán Kiszelly in his Facebook post .
The Russians will certainly not accept the sanctions, what a "price cap", and would rather burn the gas or release it into the atmosphere. As happened with coffee during the (recent) Great Depression: The surplus was dumped into the sea, destroyed to keep prices high.

Von der Leyen: The EU proposes a price ceiling for Russian gas

The European Commission recommends a price cap for Russian gas, as well as the adoption of measures, including the mandatory reduction of electricity consumption in the EU during peak hours, and the introduction of an upper limit on the revenues of non-gas-powered electricity producers, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the board, said in Brussels on Wednesday.

Ursula von der Leyen explained that by introducing a price ceiling for Russian gas, the EU will reduce Russia's revenues, which, as she said, Russian President Vladimir Putin is using to finance the war in Ukraine.

He said that the European Commission will make a proposal to save electricity by reducing electricity consumption during peak hours. The Brussels board will propose a cap on the revenues of companies producing low-cost electricity. As he explained, low-carbon energy producers receive windfalls that do not reflect their production costs. He said it was time for consumers to benefit from the low costs of low-carbon energy producers, such as those using renewable energy sources.

He added that the same applies to the windfall of companies using fossil fuels. As oil and gas companies have also made huge profits, the European Commission will propose a solidarity contribution to the affected companies. Member States should use the revenues to support vulnerable households and the use of clean energy sources, he said.

He concluded by saying that although energy companies should be supported to cope with market fluctuations, the companies concerned are currently asking for unexpectedly large sums of money to survive, which threatens the EU's commercial activity and the stability of the markets. The EU will therefore help the member states to be able to provide liquidity support to the energy companies concerned, added Ursula von der Leyen.

Putin: Russia has lost nothing due to the sanctions, in fact, it has strengthened its independence

There is no point in limiting the price of Russian gas to EU countries, because then we will sell it elsewhere - Vladimir Putin responded to the EU's plans. The Russian president described the plan as "completely stupid" because, according to him, it is of no use to the initiators, but Russia will not supply oil and gas at a loss. Vladimir Putin said: "those who would impose something on us are not in a position to dictate to us today. They should come to their senses," said M1 News.

A blanket of ice and snow covers the big European cities, the sky is obscured from view by thick smoke rising from the chimneys - these are the images Gazprom sent to the residents of Brussels, Berlin and London, among others. The video published by the Russian state gas company warns that Europe is in for a long and cold winter if Russia decides to shut off the gas taps.

The barely two-minute video was made public three days after Gazprom announced that it would suspend deliveries on the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline indefinitely, putting Europe in an almost impossible situation to fill up its gas storage before the onset of winter.

Since the pipeline was disconnected, Gazprom has been continuously burning natural gas at the compressor station in Portovajka. The one that was intended for the European market and cannot be sold elsewhere due to the lack of adequate infrastructure and partners.

Vladimir Putin says:

this is not a revenge move for the Western proposal that would unilaterally limit the free market price of natural gas. In the background there are technical problems, the repair of which is prevented by European sanctions.

The last turbine has also failed and is a fire and explosion hazard. Siemens representatives were also convinced of this.

If they gave us another turbine, we would restart gas deliveries the very next day. But they don't give. And they say that we use energy as a weapon against them. Yet they brought themselves into this situation. And now they don't know what to do with it. They pushed themselves into a corner with the sanctions, the Russian president said at the meeting of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

Russia has not lost anything due to the sanctions, in fact, it has strengthened its independence, Putin emphasized, adding that his country has no problem selling its energy resources outside of Europe, the sanctions fever cannot isolate his country. The Russian president will soon meet personally with Chinese President Xi Jinping, to whom he would sell natural gas. It has recently bought combat drones from Iran and is also reported to have held talks with Kim Jong-un about buying munitions from North Korea.

" We don't deliver anything, not gas, oil, coal, nothing! The only thing left is that, as in the Russian fairy tale, we say: Freeze, freeze! ” said Vladimir Putin, who
told the European leaders:

if the gas contracts are canceled and Russia therefore becomes economically disinterested in fulfilling them, it will permanently cease the delivery of energy carriers to the continent. Today, Europe is not in a position to dictate to Russia. They should come to their senses

warned the Russian president.

Source: 2022plus, M1, MTI, Zoltán Kiszelly Facebook.

Photo: MTI/AP