Russia has been accused of "blackmail" after it halted fuel exports to Poland and Bulgaria, signaling that the Ukraine battle will influence Europe's power provides.

Russian power Gazprom introduced Wednesday it will cease exporting fuel to Poland and Bulgaria after they refused to pay for the gas in roubles, a requirement President Vladimir Putin has made to "unfriendly" nations following his invasion of Ukraine.

European Fee chief Ursula von der Leyen stated the transfer was "unjustified and unacceptable" and the EU would enact a contingency plan to seek out the gas from different suppliers.

The cutoff will have an effect on deliveries of Russian fuel to Poland by way of the Yamal-Europe pipeline and to Bulgaria through the TurkStream pipeline.

Polish Deputy Overseas Minister Marcin Przdacz stated his nation would look to different companions, such because the U.S. and Gulf nations, to satisfy its fuel wants.

"I am fairly positive that we are going to handle to deal with this," he informed the BBC.

In the meantime, Poland's local weather minister, Anna Moskwa, stated there can be no must take from reserves and that a contingency plan had been in place to scale back reliance on Russian power.

"There might be no scarcity of fuel in Polish houses," she stated.

This can be a creating story.

Yamal pipeline
A view of large tubes a part of one of many bodily exit factors and compressor fuel station of the Yamal–Europe fuel pipeline on February 19, 2022 in Wloclawek, Poland. Russia has introduced it will cease fuel exports to Poland and Bulgaria over the nations' refusal to pay for provides in roubles.Omar Marques/Getty Photographs