In the first four months of 2022, Russia’s gas shipments to China increased by as much as 60% compared to the same period previous year, owing to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Even though energy shipments to Europe remain uncertain due to continued conflicts and the West’s increasing sanctions on Russia, Russian energy giant Gazprom declared a large increase in exports on Sunday.
According to Russia Today, the transfers were delivered through the Power of Siberia pipeline as part of a contract between Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
Beijing has refrained from denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine openly, instead urging a diplomatic settlement.
According to the research, the energy standoff between Russia and the West has resulted in a 26.9% decline in gas deliveries to nations outside the former Soviet Union since the beginning of the year, with a total of 50.1 billion cubic metres delivered over the last four months.
Furthermore, Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously ordered that from March 31, gas payments from “unfriendly countries,” including the European Union (EU), be made in rubles.
The EU first dismissed Moscow’s new regulations as “blackmail,” but the European Commission has stated that there may be methods to pay for Russian gas in rubles while still complying with the sanctions.
However, several countries have refused to transition to rubles, prompting Gazprom to cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria in late April, according to the newspaper.
Aryan Jakhar works as an Editor-in-Chief at The Shining Media. Also, he is an editor at YouthPolitician (digital media situated in Taiwan). He writes his opinions on social issues at YouthKiAwaaz and also on his blogger website.
