The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest, had its last remaining main external power line cut off as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. UN Inspectors have sounded a warning of a potential disaster on the cards as the plant has become the focal point of the conflict. The plant was seaized by Russian troops shortly after the February 24 invasion with each side blaming the other for nearby shelling.
As the war continues to drag on, its impact on energy supplies and prices around the world remains a serious concern as Moscow has shut down its main gas pipeline to Germany in order to hurt Ukraine’s allies in the West. This move of course comes in response to the decision by G7 countries to impose a price cap on Russian oil exports. There are fears that the situation will worsen a lot more with the continued closure of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline as Europe prepares for a severe winter.
Moscow has cited Western sanctions and technical issues for energy disruptions, while European countries have accused Russia of weaponising supplies as part of its military invasion. It is hard to see how this deadlocked will be resolved with both sides unwilling to budge even an inch. Russia has clearly stated that it will not make a planned restart of gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, one of Russia’s main supply lines to Europe. Gazprom, the state-run energy company, has been claiming that Germany’s Siemens Energy was ready to help repair broken equipment but that there was nowhere available to carry out the work.
This continued delay in restoring the supply to Nord Stream 1 will only deepen Europe’s problems securing fuel for winter as energy prices lead to a surge in living costs. The impact of this however extends far beyond Europe to countries who have nothing to do with the conflict, but continue to bear the costs in the form of high commodity prices and resulting inflationary pressures. The hope is that this constant back and forth of sanctions comes to a halt and that world leaders can gain some perspective of the multiple crises we are facing that deserve our attention and cooperation, instead of a zero-sum approach to international politics.