Putin says new pipeline could quickly pump more gas to EU

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MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia could rapidly boost earthy state supplies to the European Union erstwhile German regulators let a caller pipeline nether the Baltic Sea to commencement operation.

Speaking connected a wide scope of planetary and home argumentation issues during a league of overseas argumentation experts, Putin argued that Russia already has accrued state supplies to Europe this twelvemonth and could nonstop much erstwhile the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is functioning.

He said 1 of the 2 links of the caller pipeline already has been filled with state arsenic portion of preparations for its launch, adding that supplies could commencement instantly aft regulators springiness their approval.

“If the German regulator gives support tomorrow, supplies of 17.5 cardinal cubic meters of state volition commencement the time aft tomorrow,” Putin said.

Putin said the pipeline's 2nd nexus volition beryllium filled with state by the extremity of the year, to a full capableness of 55 cardinal cubic meters.

Earlier Thursday, European Union leaders met to sermon ways to easiness the symptom of soaring vigor bills for consumers. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that with the 27-nation bloc importing 90% of its state — overmuch of it from strategical rival Russia — “this makes america vulnerable.”

Putin blamed soaring European state prices connected past determination by EU officials who focused connected the spot state marketplace and opposed semipermanent proviso contracts preferred by Russia.

Turning to different issues, Putin staunchly defended the instrumentality connected “foreign agents” that has been utilized to designate immoderate media, describing it arsenic a instrumentality to ward disconnected overseas meddling successful the country's affairs.

Opponents accidental it has been utilized to muzzle captious media outlets since the “foreign agent” stigma has beardown pejorative connotations.

Responding to a question from Dmitry Muratov, who won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize earlier this period for his enactment arsenic exertion of the autarkic Russian paper Novaya Gazeta, Putin congratulated him for the archetypal clip — but dismissed his disapproval of the law.

Putin argued that the instrumentality is intended to pass the nationalist astir media outlets that person overseas funds, portion allowing them to proceed their activities.

While defending the law, Putin promised, however, to look much intimately into projected amendments arsenic Muratov asked.

Asked astir his presumption of relations with Washington pursuing his June acme with U.S. President Joe Biden successful Geneva, Putin said Moscow and Washington person conducted consultations connected arms power and cybersecurity successful enactment with their agreement.

He said that "while we agreed conscionable connected a fewer issues, we are connected the close track,” but added that determination besides person been immoderate rollbacks connected definite issues helium didn't specify.

He noted that Russia would cooperate with Washington connected warring coercion and “provide the indispensable accusation to U.S. colleagues.”

Asked to remark connected the concern of Afghanistan, Putin commended Biden for showing the courageousness to bid American troops' pullback contempt inevitable home criticism, and contested the presumption that the determination had undermined the U.S. planetary power.

He charged that adjacent though immoderate U.S. allies whitethorn person been unnerved by the speedy pullout from Afghanistan, successful the agelong tally “the country's attractiveness is determined by its system and subject might.”

“The U.S. president made the close determination to retreat troops,” Putin said.

The Russian person added that the planetary assemblage “is getting close” to officially recognizing the Taliban arsenic the caller rulers of Afghanistan, saying the determination indispensable beryllium made by the United Nations, and noting the request for the Taliban to admit the interests of each Afghan taste groups and respect quality rights.

Asked if Russia's progressively adjacent ties with China could germinate into a subject alliance, Putin said Moscow and Beijing person nary volition of doing so.

“We are friends with China based connected our shared interests, not against someone,” helium said. “And dissimilar NATO we don't privation to make a closed subject bloc.”

Turning to Ukraine, Putin said that its increasing subject ties with the U.S. and its NATO allies is simply a “real threat” to Russia.

Russia and Ukraine person remained successful a tug-of-war aft Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula and enactment for a separatist insurgency successful eastbound Ukraine.

Moscow has staunchly opposed Ukraine's bid for rank successful NATO, saying it would correspond a large information threat.

Putin noted that adjacent if Ukraine doesn't formally go an confederation member, plans to acceptable up grooming centers determination by immoderate NATO members could beryllium a screen for troops and weapons.

“They whitethorn enactment thing determination nether the guise of grooming centers." Putin said. “The ceremonial rank successful NATO whitethorn ne'er come, but the subject improvement of the territory is already nether way. And that creates a existent menace to the Russian Federation."

Asked astir the beingness of Russian backstage subject contractors successful Mali, which drew complaints from France, Putin charged that they prosecute purely concern interests and don't correspond the Russian state.

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