Page 5 - FSUOGM Week 20 2022

FSUOGM COMMENTARY FSUOGM

Russia dismisses report it plans

to cut gas flow to Finland

Lacking in any gas storage capacity, Finland is particularly vulnerable to a

cut-off in Russian supply

FINLAND KREMLIN spokesman Dmitry Peskov has Russia is yet to announce any cut in its gas sup-
rejected a Finnish media report that Russia is plies to Finland, as do its Finnish customers.
WHAT: preparing to cut gas flow to the Nordic country Speaking on May 13, Peskov said the Finnish
Reports suggest Moscow over its decision to apply to join Nato. media report was fake.
intends to cut off gas The Finnish government announced on May “Most likely, this is another hoax,” he told a
supply to Finland, but the 12 that it would join the defence alliance “with- conference call, adding that Gazprom remained
Kremlin has denied this. out delay”, prompting a fierce rebuke from Mos- a reliable gas supplier. Gazprom has already
cow. Russia’s foreign ministry quickly warned halted gas supply to Bulgaria and Poland in vio-
WHY: that the move, which would increase Russia’s lation of its supply contracts. Reportedly, it did so
Finland announced last shared border with Nato by 800 km, would after the pair refused to comply with a Kremlin
week it would apply to force Russia to respond with unspecified “mil- decree that would have required them to make
join NATO. itary-technical” measures. payments for gas in accounts at Gazprombank,
"Finland's accession to Nato will cause serious for conversion into rubles before transfer to
WHAT NEXT: damage to bilateral Russian-Finnish relations Gazprom.
Finland would be hard hit and maintenance of stability and security in the Finland has said it is committed to phasing
by a cut-off, but it would Northern European region," the ministry said. out Russian gas imports but this will prove a dif-
be able to access some "Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, ficult task. Having no gas of its own, the coun-
alternative supply from both of a military-technical and other nature, try relies on Russia to meet 60-70% of its gas
Estonia. in order to neutralise the threats to its national demand. Its dependence on Gazprom used to
security that arise from this." be greater, until the completion of the Balticcon-
Finland’s border with Russia is just 400 km nector pipeline that links its gas grid with that
away from St Petersburg, Russia’s second city. of Estonia.
Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported on May While gas supply continues, Finland also
12 that key Finnish politicians had been warned depends on Moscow for some electricity sup-
that Russia could halt its gas supplies to Finland ply, and Russian state-owned power utility
on May 13, citing unnamed sources. The paper Inter RAO intends to stop exports on May 14,
did not specify where the warning came from. because of non-payment, the company’s Finnish

Week 20 18•May•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P5