Russia blames US for Europe's energy crisis

Russia has blamed the United States for triggering the worst gas supply crisis in Europe by pushing European leaders toward the "suicidal" step of imposing sanctions on Moscow over its operation in Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the US of being responsible for the energy crisis in Europe on the sidelines of Eastern Economic Forum in the country's Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok on Tuesday, after Moscow shut down a main pipeline supplying Russian gas to Europe and cited the US-led sanctions as well as technical issues for the disruption.

Zakharova said the US had long sought to break energy ties between Russia and major European powers, such as Germany, even though Moscow had been a reliable energy supplier since Soviet times.

"The dominance of Washington prevailed," Zakharova told Reuters. "Political forces were brought to power in the European Union who are playing the role of 'sheep-provocateurs.'"

"It is absolute suicide but it seems they will have to go through this," she added.

When asked what needed to happen for Nord Stream 1 to begin pumping again, Zakharova said, "Listen, you are asking me questions that even children know the answer to: those who started this need to finish this."

The Russian gas giant Gazprom suspended natural gas flows to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline last Wednesday.

While the EU has accused Russia of cutting supplies in retaliation for the sanctions, Moscow has insisted that the bans have made the technical maintenance of the pipeline very difficult for the Russian company.

On Monday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed the EU, UK, and Canadian sanctions for Russia's failure to deliver gas through the key pipeline, saying the supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 would not resume in full until the Western countries reached a collective decision and lifted the sanctions.

ME