Putin is all gas gas gas

When you control the main energy supply to Europe you have power at the switch of a button. This is the power in the hands of Vladimir Putin and he is making the most of it. First, there were fears that he would cut off all gas supplies in revenge for the sanctions against Russia and the arming of the Ukrainian government. But then he appeared to relent and the Nord Stream pipeline through to Germany which had been off for maintenance was switched back on. Huge relief all round. But now Gazprom, the Russian gas supplier totally in hock to Putin, has announced that it is only going to release gas at 20 per cent capacity down the Nord Stream. The EU has had to take emergency measures although why this wasn't already in the pipeline (pun intended) it's not very clear. Whether or not the EU can find alternative supplies, Putin will glory in the knowledge that he can literally ruin Europe's day by controlling the amount of natural gas he allows to flow throgh the pipe. It's a mighty weapon and, as we know, Putin loves mighty weapons. He is always boasting about his monster nuclear missiles and hypersonic weapons that can't be detected. But gas is the easy one to deploy. Except of course to an extent he is spiting his own face because the less gas he allows Germany and others to buy the less money he will make. But Putin is already making so much money from the sale of costly Russian oil as well as natural gas that he doesn't have to worry about having insufficient funds for his war in Ukraine. Putin has claimed, through his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, that he is not interested in cutting off gas supplies. But then he said he wasn't interested in invading Ukraine right up to the moment he invaded Ukraine!