Al Jazeera: Former Russian Foreign Minster A. Fedorov & I are interviewed: A Putin Gas War vs EU? | Me: This would be another huge Putin tactical blunder. EU citizens will not be intimidated, will unite, blaming Putin.

I was interviewed, 11 July, together with former-Foreign Minister of Russia, Andrey A. Fedorov, about the possibility of Moscow cutting off gas supplies to Germany and the EU via Nord Stream 1 after 21 July, when the scheduled maintaince of this large pipeline from Russia to Germany and the EU ends.

Many leaders in Brussels and in Member states have warned of this possibility in recent days.

Issues included:

– Whether and how Putin is weaponizing gas exports? – What will be the effect of a Nord Stream 1 gas cutoff?

– What are EU plans?

– Can the USA and others replace Russian gas imports soon?

– Would it undermine EU solidrity with Ukraine? At the end, I stressed that this is part of the Russian economic war on the EU, one being waged along with the Russian hot war against Ukraine.

At the end, I stressed: if Putin cuts off Russian gas supplies to the EU, he is making a huge TACTICAL BLUNDER.

Indeed, Germany and other EU Member states want to stop importing Russian gas, to stop funding Putin’s war. Howevver, EU Member state leaders feel they cannot yet stop buying it any time soon because of the heavy dependence of European citizens and firms, and the economic crisis and suffering it would cause citizens.

However, if Putin cuts it off, then it is he who is clearly the culprit. It is he who will be held responsible for the severe crisis this will impose on Europe, just as he is responsible for the war in Ukraine.

I warned that EU citizens will not surrender to such an attack. EU citizens will not be divided by it. Putin will only unite Europe – and America – more against his regime and in solidarity with Ukraine.

So, fine! Let it be Putin who imposes a crisis this winter. This is a tactical blunder, like so many others he has committed, and this will mark the end of his regime’s gas business in Europe, forever.

I hope Mr. Fedorov takes this message to whomsoever in Moscow is willing to listen.

In fairness, I’ve heard Mr. Fedorov once or twice in long interviews from Moscow (one of the links is below). My impression was that, whatever his views on other matters may be, he did not appear to be a supporter of the war in Ukraine. But I have insufficient information.

Further reading: Conflict Zone – Guest: Andrei Fedorov | DW | 11.04.2022 – https://www.dw.com › conflict-zone-guest-andrei-fedor… 11 Apr 2022 — Tim Sebastian interviews former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Fedorov …: Al Jazeera: Former Russian Foreign Minster A. Fedorov & I are interviewed: A Putin Gas War vs EU? | Me: This would be another huge Putin tactical blunder. EU citizens will not be intimidated, will unite, blaming Putin.