German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday accused Russia of being responsible for blocking the delivery of a turbine currently in Germany without which the Nord Stream gas pipeline could not operate normally, Moscow says.

While Russia reduced the volume of gas shipments, stressing the necessity of receiving the turbine, Schulz said, "There is no reason not to deliver," explaining that all Russia has to do is "provide the customs information necessary to transfer it to Russia," during his visit to the Siemens factory in Mülheim an der Ruhr. (West) is where this turbine is located.

Russia reduced Nord Stream deliveries in June and July, claiming it had not received a turbine sent for service in Canada. Germany and Canada have agreed to return the equipment to Russia, but the turbine has not yet reached its final destination.

Berlin has always considered this as just an "excuse" and a "political" decision to influence Westerners against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

And Scholz saw that Moscow is thus sending a "complex message" to the whole world by questioning its willingness to "fulfill its obligations" in the future.

The Nord Stream gas pipeline, which according to Gazprom has a capacity of 167 million cubic meters per day, connects Russia with Germany via the Baltic Sea.

A significant cut or reduction in Russian supplies will negatively affect European economies. Germany is the largest economic power on the continent, but it is the most vulnerable to the negative impact of this due to its heavy dependence on gas imports from Russia.

Westerners accuse Moscow of using gas as a political weapon in response to the sanctions imposed after the attack on Ukraine.

The Kremlin, for its part, says that sanctions are the root of technical problems with gas infrastructure, and therefore Europe suffers from the measures it imposes on Russia.

AFP