Why has Russia halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland?

Why has Russia halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland?

Russia on Wednesday abruptly halted natural gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland, stepping up retaliatory measures against countries assisting Ukraine in its bid to fight off Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was responding to the countries’ refusal to pay in rubles, which Moscow sorely needs in the wake of Western sanctions that have frozen Russian reserves. Other countries that do not fall in line should expect the same, the Kremlin warned.

The measure is Moscow’s first major move to halt energy supplies since the imposition of sanctions. It marks an escalation in tensions between Russia and the West as Europe races to wean itself from a dependency on Russian oil and natural gas.

The European Union on Wednesday decried Moscow’s move as “blackmail.” Poland and Bulgaria, both members of the E.U. and NATO military alliance, accused Russia of violating contracts. Europe said it would easily manage as it was already pivoting quickly to replace Russian energy.

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