On the 2nd (local time), Russia claimed that while the suspension of Russian natural gas supplies weakens Europe's economic potential, the United States is benefiting.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in a press release that day, "The suspension of competitive and environmentally friendly Russian energy supplies not only weakens Europe's economic potential but also has a very negative impact on the living standards of Europeans."
She emphasized that the main beneficiary is the United States, as the energy market is being redistributed due to the halt of Russian gas supplies to Europe.
She said, "The responsibility for the suspension of Russian gas supplies lies entirely with the United States, the puppet regime of Ukraine, and European authorities who sacrificed the well-being of their citizens to financially support the US economy."
Mikhail Sheremet, a member of the Russian State Duma, also told Sputnik News, "Volodymyr Zelensky (President of Ukraine) has repaid his European counterparts with evil by cutting off gas to European industries and deciding not to provide heating to citizens during the harsh winter, leading to economic destruction."
Earlier, Ukraine had a contract with the Russian state energy company Gazprom to supply Russian natural gas to Europe through its territory, but the contract expired on December 31 last year and was not extended.
As a result, Ukraine is expected to lose about $800 million (approximately 1.1774 trillion KRW) annually in transportation fees, and Gazprom is expected to suffer losses of about $5 billion (approximately 7.359 trillion KRW) due to decreased gas sales.
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