Russian gas supplies to Finland may stop as early as Friday, May 13.
At the official level, the authorities refuse to comment on the information on the merits. Before that, Helsinki wants to understand whether the threat will be realized. At the same time, it was previously believed in Finland that a possible deadline for stopping gas supplies is May 23, when the deadline for paying for fuel comes.
Gazprom has already cut off deliveries to Bulgaria and Poland after they refused to pay bills in rubles. The demand was first voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 23, and details of the changes appeared a week later. These countries considered such conditions a violation of the sanctions regime and previously concluded contracts.
In the case of Finland, a joint statement by Finnish President and Prime Minister Sauli Niiniste and Sanna Marin to support the country’s application to join NATO could be a reason to speed up the shutdown of supplies. According to local media, the country will officially be able to apply for membership as early as May 15, and the alliance promises to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Helsinki of violating international legal obligations, pointing out that Moscow had always assured Helsinki of the impossibility of an attack on its part.
