LATVIA has become the latest victim of Vladmir Putin’s war on energy after it indefinitely blocked their gas supply.
The country is following in the footsteps of other European countries that have dealt with the ax as Russia continues to arm the West’s energy supply.
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This week, towns and cities in Germany were plunged into darkness after Russian energy giant Gazprom strangled supplies by 20 percent.
Hanover mayor Belit Onay said the “imminent gas shortage” meant he had to cut energy consumption by 15 percent.
The move, which could soon be rolled out in regions across the country, has already caused residents to take cold showers as they feel the chill of Putin’s meddling.
German breweries have also been told to stop producing beer for fear of the Oktoberfest being cancelled.
Meanwhile, Spanish residents have even faced calls to remove unnecessary clothing at work – such as ties – to cool off amid dwindling supplies.
He encouraged all officials to do away with the collar before announcing more energy-saving measures on Monday.
Fearing an impending energy crisis this winter, Belgium has also introduced plans to reverse the nuclear phase-out, while the Netherlands and Austria are switching to coal-fired power stations.
Many are reacting to Putin’s energy policy carried out to take revenge on European leaders who apparently defied him because of the war in Ukraine.
Experts say the tyrant believes the policy could act as leverage in negotiations, given Europe’s massive reliance on Russian gas and energy.
Today, in the latest of those steps, state-owned gas giant Gazprom announced that Latvia’s deliveries would be halted after the country refused to pay for deliveries in rubles.
Several countries have taken this position in light of the EU’s crippling sanctions against Moscow.
In a statement, the company said it was suspending its gas supplies to neighboring Latvia for violating “conditions for gas extraction”.
The Edijs Saicans, deputy state secretary for energy policy at the Latvian Ministry of Economy, said they had already decided to ban Russian gas imports from January 1, 2023 and added defiantly that there would be no consequences.
“We don’t see any major consequences from such a move,” he said after the announcement.
Gazprom has already stopped gas supplies to Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria because the countries would not pay in their local currency, as required by the supplier.
On Tuesday, EU countries reportedly agreed on emergency ordinances to curb their gas consumption this winter, as Putin continues to cut supplies.
The European Commission had previously warned that compliance with Putin’s order could violate EU sanctions against Moscow.
It has urged companies to continue to pay in the currency agreed in their contracts with Gazprom despite the ongoing restrictions.
The news comes as the war on Ukraine deepens with new reports that Putin’s men may be in a pinch after President Volodymyr Zelensky’s brave troops wiped out two Russian munitions depots.
The Ukrainian Army’s Strategic Communications Directorate has confirmed that Ukraine hit two ammunition depots in Ilovaisk (Donetsk Oblast) and Brylivka, belonging to Russia, in the early hours of Friday morning.
Images shared on social media show huge flames erupting and thick, dark plumes of smoke filling the Ukrainian night sky.
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