Russia is prepared to resume some gas flows to Europe via pipeline, deputy prime minister says

• Moscow is prepared to resume gas supplies to Europe via the Yamal-Europe pipeline, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told state media.
• "The European market remains relevant, as the gas shortage persists, and we have every opportunity to resume supplies," he said.

Russia's deputy prime minister told state media that the nation is prepared to resume some gas flows to Europe, Reuters reported Sunday.

"The European market remains relevant, as the gas shortage persists, and we have every opportunity to resume supplies," Alexander Novak told TASS news agency, per the report. "For example, the Yamal-Europe Pipeline, which was stopped for political reasons, remains unused."

Flows from the Yamal-Europe pipeline have mostly reversed since last December, with Poland opting to import gas from Germany instead.

And in May, Poland ended its agreement with Russia to receive natural gas after Moscow demanded payments in rubles.

Russian energy firm Gazprom had also cut off flows to Poland in June, and said it wouldn't export any more gas through Poland as Moscow imposed sanctions against the company that operates the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe pipeline, per Reuters.

But even as pipeline gas has stopped flowing from Russia, it has emerged as a top exporter of liquefied natural gas. By the end of November the European Union had spent roughly $13 billion on Russian LNG — five times more than it did in 2021 as price surged.

"This year we were able to significantly increase LNG supplies to Europe," Novak said. "In the 11 months of 2022 they increased to 19.4 bcm, by the end of the year 21 bcm are expected."