The head of state pointed to Europe's plans to introduce restrictions on the purchase of Russian gas next month and future restrictions that will come into effect by 2027. "Perhaps we should now move to emerging markets and occupy our niche there," he noted.
Putin also emphasized that there is no political subtext in his proposal. "If in a month or two we are still denied access to the market, should we ourselves stop supplies and look for reliable partners?" he added.
However, the president noted that this is still just speculation and instructed the government to work on this issue with Russian companies.
It is worth recalling that in January, EU countries agreed on a plan to completely abandon Russian gas by 2027, although Slovakia and Hungary opposed it since they receive gas through the "Turkish Stream".
According to data from the gas transport group Entsog, exports of Russian pipeline gas to Europe will decrease by 44% in 2025, amounting to 18 billion cubic meters.
Against the backdrop of Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, gas prices in European markets exceeded $700 for the first time since January 2023.
It is noteworthy that following Iran's retaliatory attacks, Qatar suspended liquefied natural gas production at the world's largest plant in Ras Laffan. QatarEnergy, which accounts for nearly 20% of global LNG production, confirmed that the attacks affected its production facilities. Earlier, there were reports of a suspension of LNG production due to attacks on facilities in industrial cities.
