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What happened to Russia–Europe ties by 7 October 2021?
Summary
A look back at a NATO expulsion and a sharp fall in gas flows that marked the first week of October 2021.
How strained were relations between Russia and Europe on 7 October 2021? Two developments from the preceding days gave a sense of it.
On 6 October 2021, NATO expelled eight members of the Russian Mission to NATO, accusing them of secretly operating as intelligence officers. The alliance also cut the number of Russian positions at the organisation to 10.
A few days earlier, on 1 October 2021, Russian gas supplies via the Yamal–Europe pipeline fell by almost 77% in a single day. European gas prices rose to an all-time high. Lawmakers in the European Parliament asked for investigations into possible market manipulation.
The picture on supply was mixed. Gazprom's exports outside the former Soviet Union rose 15.3% year on year in the first nine months of 2021. The German utility Uniper confirmed that Russia was fulfilling its contractual obligations.
Taken together, the reports from 1 and 6 October 2021 showed diplomatic friction at NATO alongside a dispute over gas flows and prices in Europe.
