U.S. President Trump welcomes Azerbaijan President Aliyev to the White House
U.S. President Donald Trump personally welcomed Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the White House today, ahead of a historic peace signing cere...
Russia’s state-owned natural gas company Gazprom is turning off its supply to Austria after Austria said it wouldn’t pay anymore until it had received 230 million euros worth of gas, following an arbitration ruling with Austria's energy company OMV who is owed this sum from a dispute.
Russia’s state-owned energy company Gazprom will halt natural gas deliveries to Austria’s OMV utility starting early Saturday, according to Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. He says that Austria’s underground gas storage is full and the country has secured alternative, non-Russian supplies.
The cutoff follows OMV’s decision to stop payments to Gazprom for gas supplied to its Austrian division. This decision was made to offset a €230 million ($242 million) arbitration award OMV won after Gazprom cut gas deliveries to its German subsidiary.
Chancellor Nehammer, speaking at a press conference Friday, emphasized that Austria’s energy security is intact.
“No one will freeze this winter, no home will be cold. Our gas storage facilities are full, and we have sufficient capacity to obtain gas from other regions. We cannot be blackmailed,” he declared.
OMV announced the supply halt via a statement on the Central European Gas Hub website but declined further comment. Gazprom also has not responded.
Russia significantly reduced gas supplies to Europe in 2022, citing payment disputes. Gazprom had asked for payments to be in rubles. European leaders labeled this move as energy blackmail due to their support for Ukraine amidst Russia’s invasion. The supply cuts led to skyrocketing gas prices and record-high inflation, which peaked in October 2022 but has since eased.
European countries scrambled to secure alternative supplies, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. and Qatar. However, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary continue to receive Russian gas through a pipeline running via Ukraine. Ukraine has announced it will cease gas transit after January 1, 2025, leaving these countries to seek new suppliers.
Austria’s dependency on Russian gas remains high, accounting for as much as 98% of imports in December 2023, according to Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler. While the European Union has largely ended imports of Russian oil, it has not directly sanctioned Russian gas. The EU aims to phase out Russian gas imports by 2027 as part of its nonbinding targets.
Austria has a long history of reliance on Russian gas, dating back to 1968 when it became the first Western European country to import gas from the Soviet Union. In 2018, a deal extending gas supplies until 2040 was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Austria. The contract obligates OMV to pay for the gas whether it is delivered or not.
Minister Gewessler has initiated a commission to review the circumstances surrounding the contract and explore legal options for termination.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
Chinese automaker Chery has denied an industry-ministry audit that disqualified more than $53 million in state incentives for thousands of its electric and hybrid vehicles, insisting it followed official guidance and committed no fraud.
U.S. President Donald Trump personally welcomed Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the White House today, ahead of a historic peace signing ceremony. The meeting sets the stage for a U.S.-brokered framework aiming to stabilize relations in the South Caucasus.
Donald Trump has once again shared a video clip of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s remarks from the Shusha Global Media Forum on his Truth Social account.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated in an interview published on Friday that he has no intention of seeking another term in office and dismissed claims that he is preparing his son to take over leadership.
China’s President Xi Jinping told Russian leader Vladimir Putin that Beijing will continue promoting peace talks on Ukraine, regardless of how the situation unfolds.
Drone attacks continue to haunt communities around Kyiv. Overnight, Russian forces launched another wave of drones at the Kyiv region, hitting the Bucha district. Fires broke out and several homes were damaged. Local authorities say three women, aged 16, 56, and 80, were injured.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment