Russia blames Western sanctions for pipeline shutdown, while Ukraine accuses the Kremlin of energy 'blackmail'
European leaders have urged a reduction in energy usage ahead of winter
Russia has 'complete leverage' over energy battle in Europe: Military expert
Defense Priorities senior fellow Lt. Col. Danny Davis tells 'Cavuto: Coast to Coast' it will be tough for the West to maintain unity in Ukraine once winter starts and energy prices rise.
The Kremlin blamed the West on Monday for the shutdown of Nord Stream 1, arguing that economic sanctions have prevented Gazprom from doing maintenance on the critical pipeline that carries natural gas from Russia to Germany.
Gazprom shut down the pipeline last week and delayed a scheduled reopening due to oil leaks in turbines.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that fixes to those turbines haven't occurred "because of the sanctions."
"Other reasons that would cause problems with the pumping don’t exist," Peskov said.
Nord Stream is a 764-mile natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, running from Russia to Germany's Baltic coast. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File / AP Newsroom)
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, meanwhile, accused Russia of using energy as "blackmail" and urged Europeans to continue supporting Ukraine despite rising inflation and increased energy costs.
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"Russia wages a hybrid war in the European continent against the European Union. The gas blackmail, the oil blackmail, creation of the food crisis, migrant crisis, misinformation, cyberattacks," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in Brussels after a meeting with European Union officials.
"But abandoning Ukraine alone against Russia — that would just be one of those steps for the further movement of Russia deeper into Europe. The only salvation is for Europe to be united."
Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, northern Germany, on Feb. 15. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File / AP Newsroom)
Siemens Energy, the German company that manufactures turbines that Nord Stream 1 uses, has said that oil leaks can be fixed while natural gas continues to flow.
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European leaders have urged citizens to conserve energy in the coming weeks to avoid rationing and outages as winter approaches.
French President Emmanuel Macron asked French businesses and households on Monday to cut back on heating and air conditioning usage to try to reach a 10% reduction in energy usage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.