Less gas delivered: a case of "force majeure" is justified Gazprom

Russian gas giant Gazprom has invoked "force majeure" to exonerate itself from responsibility for massive cuts in its gas supplies to Europe, the company's main German customers told Reuters on Tuesday. the AFP.

"We have received a letter from Gazprom in which the company retroactively invokes force majeure for its past and current gas delivery cuts," Uniper, Germany's largest gas importer, told AFP.

“We can confirm receipt of a notice of force majeure,” confirmed the RWE group, another Gazprom customer, also in a statement sent to AFP.

According to the German daily Handelsblatt, other "European customers" of Gazprom have been notified of a reason for "force majeure".

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The war in Ukraine, the only valid justification

Invoking “the state of force majeure” releases a company from its contractual obligations by exempting it from any legal liability.

The event mentioned must be particularly unpredictable, beyond the company's control and preventing it from fulfilling its obligations.

The nature of this event was not specified, according to the companies interviewed.

“We consider that this is not justified and have formally rejected the request for force majeure,” reacted Uniper, Gaprom's biggest German customer.

The Russian company has reduced gas deliveries via Nord Stream by 60% in recent weeks, citing the absence of a Siemens turbine, under maintenance in Canada.

This decision was denounced as "political" by the German government, considering it motivated by a desire to influence Westerners in the conflict in Ukraine.

Berlin depended at the beginning of June to 35% on Russian gas for its imports, against 55% before the war in Ukraine.