Russia’s state-controlled natural gas supplier, Gazprom, heralded a major escalation in Moscow’s energy war with Western Europe on Friday when it announced that the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would remain closed indefinitely, a move that increases the prospect of blackouts and economic turmoil across the continent.
The decision was immediately condemned in capitals across Europe, but despite the anger, Gazprom’s decision will only serve to increase fears that Europe, which has long relied on Russian energy, is facing a harsh winter ahead, which is likely to include rationing along with potentially crippling price rises.
