“We are well prepared to counter Russia’s excessive use of gas weapons,” European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Paolo Gentiloni said, referring to the halting of Russian gas supplies to Europe.

“We are not afraid of the decisions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, we ask Russians to respect contracts, but if they are not, we are ready to respond,” he said on the sidelines of an economic forum organized by the European House. – Ambrocity in Cernobio on Lake Como.

And Russia’s Gazprom announced earlier that the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which connects Russia to northern Germany and was due to resume operations on Saturday after a three-day break in maintenance work, would come to a “complete” shutdown. “until the turbine is repaired, without specifying a time limit.

The move follows a decision announced by the G-7 to target the energy gains Russia has received by agreeing to set a ceiling on the price of oil, which Moscow has repeatedly warned and confirmed that it will cut off oil. from countries that set a price on it.