Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says his country will increase its export of electricity to the European Union and aim to become a guarantor of European energy security as Russia cuts gas flows to the bloc.
"We are preparing to increase our electricity exports to consumers in the European Union," Zelenskiy said on July 27 in his evening address to the nation.
"Our exports would not only allow us to increase our income in foreign currency but will also help our partners to resist Russian energy pressure," he said. Ukraine wants gradually to become "one of the guarantors of European energy security," he added.
The Ukrainian electricity grid was connected to the European network in mid-March, helping to keep supplies flowing despite Russia's invasion. Ukraine started exporting electricity to the EU via Romania in early July.
Germany's energy regulator said earlier that Russia's state energy giant Gazprom cut gas deliveries to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to about 20 percent of capacity as expected.
That put supplies through the Nord Stream 1 terminal -- a major artery for gas supplies to reach the European Union -- at about one-fifth capacity.
Russian state-controlled energy giant Gazprom had flagged the cut, with the Kremlin saying again on July 27 that it was due to "obstruction" of maintenance work caused by Western sanctions against Moscow for its February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
"We had counted on receiving one repaired engine from Siemens (Energy) as far back as May, but as of today we haven't got this engine," Gazprom's Deputy Chief Executive Vitaly Markelov told Rossiya 24 TV on July 27.
European officials have rejected Russia's excuses, accusing Moscow of weaponizing energy supplies and saying there was no technical reason for the disruption.
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German Foreign Minister Slams Russian Gas 'Blackmailing'
Reuters quoted a statement from Siemens Energy on July 27 saying that the turbine was in Germany "with all the necessary documents for the export of the turbine to Russia."
"What is missing, however, are the customs documents for import to Russia. Gazprom, as the customer, is required to provide those," it said.
Siemens's statement came a day after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told RFE/RL that the European Union won't give in to Moscow's energy "blackmailing."
She said Germany and the EU see Russia’s tactic as another attempt to divide the EU but that it will fail.
“We want to get independent 100 percent -- independence from fossil energy from Russia as fast as we can,” she said.
Zelenskiy on July 25 urged Europe to retaliate against Russia's "gas war" by boosting its sanctions against Moscow.