A senior EU official said the EU is well prepared for the extreme scenario of Moscow manipulating gas supplies as a weapon of war.

European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni said this after Nord Stream 1 failed to restart on Saturday night, contrary to expectations.

The Russian side claims that an oil leak prevented the gas turbine engine from starting up. Turbine manufacturer Siemens says it is not necessary to stop the engine to fix the leak.

The EU countries, anticipating supply problems, have been busy in recent months building up gas reserves in every possible way.

Bloomberg energy expert Will Kennedy says that while these efforts are justified, they may still not be enough: “The danger is that when we approach the second half of winter with no gas or little gas coming in from Russia, it will be very difficult for Europe to meet all of its demand.”

Emergency talks by EU energy ministers are scheduled for next Friday, with the EU looking for ways to calm a volatile market and protect people from high prices.