President Vladimir Putin has proposed to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that Russia may export extra fuel by means of Turkey and switch it into a brand new provide hub as he tries to protect Russia’s power leverage over Europe.
At a gathering in Kazakhstan on Thursday, Putin mentioned Turkey supplied essentially the most dependable path to ship fuel to the European Union and the proposed hub would permit costs to be set unbiased of politics.
Russia is seeking to redirect provides away from the 2 Nord Stream fuel pipelines within the Baltic. They had been broken final month in explosions which might be nonetheless underneath investigation. Russia blamed the West with out offering proof and rejected what it referred to as “silly” assertions that it had sabotaged the pipelines itself.
Putin informed Erdogan the hub could be “a platform not just for provides but additionally for figuring out the value as a result of it is a essential challenge”.
“Right now, these costs are sky-high,” he mentioned. “We may simply regulate at a traditional market degree with none political overtones.”
Erdogan didn’t reply within the televised portion of their assembly, however Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by the Russian information company RIA as saying each males ordered a fast and detailed examination of the thought.
Peskov mentioned the TurkStream fuel pipeline can’t be a alternative for the Nord Stream pipelines as a result of they’ve “totally different capacities”, RIA cited him as saying.
‘A possible venture’
Russia provided about 40 % of Europe’s fuel earlier than its February 24 invasion of Ukraine, but it surely has minimize flows sharply since then, even earlier than the pipeline explosions. It blamed technical issues for the interruptions in deliveries, which it mentioned had been the results of Western sanctions.
European governments rejected that rationalization, accusing Moscow of utilizing power as a geopolitical weapon.
Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, mentioned Turkey’s power minister informed reporters on the similar power convention in Kazakhstan with Putin that “it is a possible venture, and technically, energy-wise, that is attainable and it shall be studied.”
It stays to be seen whether or not European nations would settle for this proposal, Koseoglu mentioned.
“With regards to power pipelines, that is greater than an answer; this is sort of a geostrategic sport, a strategic downside,”Koseoglu mentioned. “What’s going to outline the scenario would be the European Union’s request or demand or urge for food relating to Russian fuel.
“By way of this proposal, Erdogan beneficial properties one other likelihood to achieve extra credibility amongst his European counterparts.”
The French presidency on Thursday snubbed Putin’s proposal. “There is no such thing as a sense in creating new infrastructure that permits extra Russian fuel to be imported,” a press release mentioned.
Turkish mediation
Relations with NATO member Turkey are very important to Russia at a time when the West has hit it with waves of financial sanctions, which Ankara has kept away from becoming a member of. Turkey, nevertheless, has rejected Russia’s transfer to annex 4 Ukrainian areas as a “grave violation” of worldwide legislation.
Erdogan has sought to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv and achieved a uncommon breakthrough in July when, along with the United Nations, he brokered an settlement permitting for the resumption of business Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports that Russia had blockaded.
However Russia has complained that its personal grain and fertiliser exports, whereas circuitously focused by Western sanctions, proceed to be hampered by issues corresponding to entry to overseas ports and acquiring insurance coverage.
Erdogan informed Putin: “We’re decided to strengthen and proceed the grain exports … and the switch of Russian grain and fertiliser to much less developed nations through Turkey.”
Russian officers mentioned earlier than the assembly that they had been open to listening to proposals from Turkey about internet hosting peace talks involving Russia and the West.
Nevertheless, Peskov was quoted by the RIA information company as saying, “The subject of a Russian-Ukrainian settlement was not mentioned” by the leaders.