Gascade gas compressor station in Eisleben. Archival photo MOSCOW, 4 Jan. Russian President Vladimir Putin managed to outplay Europe by agreeing to increase gas supplies to China, columnist Anthony Ashkenazi wrote in an article for the British newspaper Daily Express. pipeline. According to him, the possible deliveries on it are equivalent to those volumes of fuel that were planned to be sent to European countries via Nord Stream 2.
& # 34; The agreement will double exports to China, annually they will transport up to fifty billion cubic meters of natural gas through the new large gas pipeline & # 34; Power of Siberia 2 & # 34 ;. This is happening at a time when the rest of Europe is experiencing a serious energy crisis & # 34 ;, — Ashkenazi drew attention.
The publicist clarified that Russia is ready to supply more gas to Europe, but the certification of Nord Stream 2 has been suspended. 
Russia has the ability to increase gas supplies to the West, Putin said «Nord Stream 2» has been laid from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. It was completed in September, and on December 29, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said the pipeline was fully ready for commissioning. However, the launch requires the German Federal Grid Agency to complete the certification of the pipeline operator. It was suspended in November, as the regulator considered that Nord Sream 2 AG should create a German subsidiary and submit a new application for certification on its behalf. After the Federal Network Agency makes a decision, the European Commission will express its opinion. According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, certification should be completed within the first half of 2022. 
Nord Stream 2 will affect prices both for the EU and for Ukraine, Putin saidPresident Vladimir Putin noted that it is unreasonable for Europe to prevent the launch of Nord Stream 2, since the appearance of additional volumes of gas would lower the price of fuel. He added that European countries themselves contributed to the increase in fuel costs by running Russian gas in reverse. In mid-December, Vladimir Putin announced that a feasibility study for a gas pipeline from Russia to China via Mongolia would be ready in the coming weeks. The head of state noted that it could become a continuation of the Russian Power of Siberia 2 pipeline. 
Putin and Xi Jinping discussed gas supplies via the Power of Siberia — 2 «