As Russia turns off the gas, can Germany and its EU neighbors stay warm this winter? [Video]

Berlin — Russia stopped delivering gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline (NS1) that supplies much of western Europe on Wednesday, claiming the two-day shutoff was necessary for maintenance work. But the move will pile pressure on the continent’s largest economy as it prepares for a winter of energy rationing that could squeeze households and German industry.

Deliveries through NS1, which transports natural gas from fields belonging to Russia’s state-owned company Gazprom to the German Baltic coast, have dropped significantly since Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February, leading Germany to implement an emergency plan that will see it attempt to fill gas storage facilities across the country to 95% capacity by the end of October.

The idea is to head off any potential energy shortages driven by the Ukraine war, as …