Russia's Overchuk Explained To US Officials Moscow's Stand On European Gas Crisis

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2021) Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said that he clarified Moscow's position on the causes of the gas crisis that Europe is currently facing at his meetings with US State Department and National Security Council officials, held last week.

"We discussed this with (US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy) Sherman and (National Security Advisor Jake) Sullivan.

I conveyed to the US side our position and our assessments of the reasons of what is happening in the Europe gas market today," Overchuk told the Soloviev Live YouTube show.

The deputy prime minister added that the United States "urges Russia to increase gas supplies to Europe."

"They claim to be interested in a stable Europe. They encourage us to sell gas to Europe and say that 'if you sell gas to Europe, you will send a clear signal that you do not use gas as a weapon'. But we have never used it as a weapon anyway," Overchuk noted.