Peskov says Russia close to record high gas supplies to Europe

MOSCOW, Sep 22 (PRIME) -- Russia fulfills all its contract obligations on gas supplies to Europe and is close to record high deliveries in volume terms, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

“Our (gas supply) company and the Russian size fulfill the contract obligations to the European customers by 100% and even more. Moreover, as far as we know, we are now close to record high gas supplies to the European customers in volume terms,” he said.

Amos Hochstein, the U.S. State Department’s senior adviser for energy security, demanded earlier that Russia should increase gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine and said that he is concerned about Gazprom’s refusal to book additional gas transit volumes via the Ukrainian territory in October.

Peskov said that the spot market is the reason for a steep rise in gas prices in Europe while Gazprom remains the most reliable supplier.

“Due to their legislation, the third energy package, (Europeans) prefer to focus on spot supplies, on the spot market. And the spot market is the reason for such leaping galloping inflation. As to the Russian side, Gazprom was and remains the most reliable guarantor of gas supplies to Europe,” he said.

“But someone should buy its gas in some volumes for the situation to persist… It is impossible to transit gas without selling it before,” Peskov added.

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