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On June 15th, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stated that high energy prices are beginning to spread to other sectors of the economy. She said, "Weve started to see the indirect effects of inflation almost everywhere in recent weeks." The ECB raised interest rates last week for the first time since 2023, as the Middle East war exacerbated price pressures. Officials did not rule out a second rate hike immediately at the July meeting, with policymakers, including Bundesbank President Jean-Claude Nagel, saying that even if the war in Iran ends soon, prices could remain high. However, rising borrowing costs have raised concerns among some ECB watchers about the economic impact. "I hear criticism—often from France, and I understand that criticism—saying, We are taking measures that will stifle economic growth," Lagarde said. "But I must curb inflation if it is awakened, because once inflation gets out of control, it will be much more difficult and costly to bring it back under control. Prolonged inflation is unacceptable for consumers and businesses, and I would have failed in my mission."European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde: Common euro debt is a necessary condition for the success of a capital markets union.On June 15th, Futures reported that the domestic refined oil market showed a divergent trend in early June: retail prices saw a significant decline, but wholesale prices had limited room for further drop and gradually stabilized and began to rise, leading to a narrowing of the wholesale-retail price spread for gasoline and diesel from its year-to-date high. As of the close of trading on June 12th, the wholesale-retail price spread for gasoline from major domestic oil companies and Shandong local refineries narrowed by 19.09% and 16.85% respectively compared to the beginning of the month; the wholesale-retail price spread for diesel narrowed by 19.93% and 18.77% respectively. However, recent negative news has intensified, and demand has been insufficient, leaving room for further declines in wholesale gasoline and diesel prices. Before the retail price adjustment window opens, the wholesale-retail price spread for gasoline and diesel is expected to widen.Switzerlands producer/import price index fell 0.4% month-on-month in May, compared with 0.80% in the previous month.Switzerlands producer/import price index fell 1.8% year-on-year in May, compared with a previous reading of -2.00%.

Ukraine Will Block A Crucial Russian Gas Transit to Europe, Blaming Russia

Charlie Brooks

May 11, 2022 09:46

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Ukraine said on Tuesday that it will cease the flow of gas via a transit point that, according to Kiev, sends over one-third of the fuel piped from Russia to Europe through Ukraine. Kiev blamed Moscow for the action and said it would redirect the flows elsewhere.


Even after Moscow's invasion, Ukraine has remained a significant transit route for Russian gas to Europe.


The operator of Ukraine's gas infrastructure, GTSOU, has declared "force majeure" and will cease shipments through the Sokhranivka route as of Wednesday. "Force majeure" is a provision triggered when a firm is affected by circumstances beyond its control.


However, Gazprom (MCX:GAZP), which has a monopoly on Russian gas pipeline exports, said that it was "technologically impossible" to move all volumes to the Sudzha connecting point farther to the west, as GTSOU requested.


GTSOU CEO Sergiy Makogon told Reuters that Russian occupation troops have begun transporting gas flowing through Ukraine to two rebel territories supported by Russia in the country's east. He failed to provide proof.


The company stated that it was unable to operate at the Novopskov gas compressor station due to "the interference of the occupying forces in technical processes," adding that it could temporarily redirect the affected flow to the Sudzha physical interconnection point, which is located on Ukrainian territory.


Ukraine's suspension of Russian natural gas shipments via the Sokhranivka route should have no effect on the local Ukrainian market, according to Yuriy Vitrenko, the president of the state-owned energy business Naftogaz.


The national gas company of Moldova, a tiny country on Ukraine's western border, said that neither GTSOU nor Gazprom had notified them of a supply interruption.


Russian army and separatist militants have controlled the Novopskov compressor station in the Luhansk area of eastern Ukraine since shortly after Moscow launched a "special military operation" in February.


GTSOU said that it is the first compressor in the Ukraine gas transit system in the Luhansk area, the transit route for about 32,6 million cubic metres of gas per day, or a third of the Russian gas transported to Europe through Ukraine.


To fulfill its "transit responsibilities to European partners in full," GTSOU said that it will "temporarily move unavailable capacity" to the Sudzha interconnection point.


Gazprom said it had received information from Ukraine that the nation will cease gas transit to Europe through the Sokhranivka interconnector at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday local time.


The Russian corporation said that it observed no evidence of force majeure or impediments to business as usual. Gazprom emphasized that it was fulfilling its commitments to European gas purchasers.


As punishment for the invasion of Ukraine, the United States has pushed other nations to reduce their reliance on Russian energy and has prohibited Russian oil and other energy imports.


Ned Price, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said that Tuesday's declaration does not alter the "as soon as feasible" schedule for reducing global dependency on Russian oil.

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