The European Union urged nations to prepare to ration natural gas amid growing concern that Russia is about to squeeze supply from the continent.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, on Wednesday released a plan pushing governments to prepare for a winter without ample supplies of Russian gas. This scenario was highlighted this week as European capitals waited for Moscow to restart Nord Stream, a key pipeline transporting gas from Russia to Europe, after a scheduled maintenance period ending on Thursday. Europeans are at the limit because Moscow had already reduced gas flow through Nord Stream to about 40% of its capacity before the maintenance period began.