Gas flows to Europe won’t resume until sanctions lifted: Russia

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said the halt of gas flows down the Nord Stream were caused by Western sanctions. {File: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters]

Russian gas supplies to Europe will not resume until Western sanctions against Moscow are lifted, the Kremlin has said.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said on Monday the sanctions were the sole reason behind Russia’s decision to shut the Nord Stream 1 (NS1) pipeline. Moscow initially said it was shutting the pipeline, which supplies gas to Europe, for maintenance.