Putin: Russia could halt gas to Europe, seek new markets

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Russia could completely halt gas supplies to Europe and focus on new markets. According to him, more promising opportunities are emerging outside the European market, where Moscow could gain greater economic leverage.

Putin stressed that this is not a final decision but a possibility he intends to discuss with the government and energy companies.

At the same time, he reiterated that Russia has always been a reliable energy supplier and will continue to cooperate with partners it considers dependable, such as Slovakia and Hungary.

Ukraine had previously reported that a section of the Druzhba oil pipeline had been damaged by a fire following a Russian attack, temporarily limiting oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.

(reuters, mja)