Aleksandar Vučić’s comments came just 3 days after he agreed to extend a gas deal with Russia that will save Belgrade around $1.12 billion, according to his calculations.
Vučić told TV channel Pink:
- The Russians have a problem that they are not talking about
- Namely, there are attempts to politically squeeze them out so that they do not have gas in Europe
It stretches from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany, allowing Moscow to send gas without transiting other countries.
It would also make the process less reliant on 3rd parties, thereby lowering the price.
According to Washington, however, the pipeline threatens Europe’s «energy security».
Some have claimed the US is motivated by its own desire to sell LNG to the continent.
Due to issues with the German regulator and its insistence that Nord Stream 2 AG create a German subsidiary, the pipeline’s certification has been delayed.
Once the formalities are completed, it could be turned on next year.
The contract for gas supplies from Russia to Serbia has been in force since 2012 and expires at the end of 2021.
The price, set at $270 per 1,000 m3, is considerably lower than the current spot price and has been extended for an extra 6 months on the same terms.
Last month, LNG prices in Europe hit a record high of $1,900 per 1,000 m3.