European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia is an "unreliable country" that is
manipulating energy markets, adding that EU countries have the ability to make up for shortfalls in Russian gas supplies from other sources such as Norway, Algeria and the United States.
Russia had decided, at the last minute, not to resume pumping gas through " Nord Stream 1 " on Saturday, 3 days after stopping it for maintenance.
Russia said the failure to pump gas was due to an "oil leak in a turbine". The suspension of supplies coincided with the announcement of the Group of Seven finance ministers to set a ceiling for Russian oil prices.
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The President of the European Commission said, in a press conference on Wednesday, that the rise in energy prices is due to the lack of alternatives available to Russian gas, and that prices require the development of thoughtful plans for alternatives, such as nuclear reactors.
She added that European countries would set a ceiling on gas prices , a move the West is seeking in order to deprive Russia of some of the revenue from energy exports.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the proposal to put a cap on Russian gas prices was a "stupid move" and would lead to higher prices.