The government of the United States of America has reacted to Russia’s decision to cut the supply of gas to Europe after several controversies.
Africa Today News, New York reports that Moscow reportedly took the measure in response to many sanctions the West has imposed on it, according to US sources.
According to recent reports, the Joe Biden administration is working tirelessly behind the scenes to maintain the unity of the European allies against Russia.
According to US authorities, Moscow has further reduced its energy shipments to the European Union, which has caused fear over the possibility of severe gas shortages this winter on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Russia’s state-owned gas company Gazprom on Monday said it would cut flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany in half, to just 20% of its capacity.
A US official, according to CNN, said the move was retaliation for Western sanctions, and that it put the West in “unchartered territory” when it comes to whether Europe will have enough gas to get through the winter.
In response to the turmoil, the White House dispatched the presidential coordinator for global energy Amos Hochstein to Europe on Tuesday, officials said.
He will be traveling to Paris and Brussels to discuss contingency planning with the US-EU energy task force created in March, one month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
‘This was our biggest fear,’ said the US official.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the impact on Europe could boomerang back onto the US, spiking natural gas and electricity prices, the official said.