The Kremlin said Europe is paying the price because of its failure to sign long-term supply contracts and could ease the pressure by ending delays to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The controversial line runs from Russia to Germany, bypassing Poland and Ukraine, and many have claimed it is being used as a "geopolitical weapon". It comes as Europe's benchmark gas price climbed to a new record on Tuesday, up almost 800 percent since the start of the year. The price eased on Friday but it was still up more than 400 percent.

       Now Russia has signalled that things could get worse if the EU does not bow to their requests.

       Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Europe was missing out on additional Russian supplies because of delays to Nord Stream 2.

       He added: "To my mind, European consumers are very interested in the project to start working, while the companies, which participate in it, they could have submitted additional requests as part of long-term relations on gas supplies via this new gas pipeline.

       He also said European leaders had made mistakes in reducing the use of long-term supply deals in favour of the spot market.

       Mr Novak added: "The countries, which receive gas via the long-term deals, they receive it much cheaper."

       And Moscow has signalled it is ready for the situation to deteriorate.

       The Yamal-Europe pipeline that usually sends Russian gas to Western Europe was flowing in reverse for a fourth day on Friday.

       That means it was pumping fuel from Germany to Poland, rather than the other way.

       Mr Putin has claimed that Germany was reselling Russian gas to Poland and Ukraine rather than relieving an overheated market.

       The surging gas price comes comes amid rising tension between Moscow and the West over Ukraine.

       In Kiev, another transit route for Russian gas to Europe, the head of state gas transmission operator said Russia's Gazprom had reduced daily gas transit.

       Sergiy Makogon wrote on Facebook: "The reduction in gas supplies to the European Union at a time when prices reached $2,000 suggests that these are not economic decisions but purely political ones, aimed at increasing pressure on the EU to launch Nord Stream 2 on terms of the Russian Federation.

       Russia has repeatedly dismissed charges it has played politics over gas and says it is meeting all the amounts it is contracted to supply.

       But it comes after Germany’s energy regulator said it would not certify Nord Stream 2 yet.

       The delay came after he US encouraged Germany to shut down the pipeline following a virtual summit between US President Joe Biden and President Putin.

       US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said: “If Vladimir Putin wants to see gas flow through that pipeline, he may not want to take the risk of invading Ukraine.

       "The subject of the future of Nord Stream 2 in the context of an invasion of Ukraine by Russia in the coming weeks is a topic of utmost priority. It has been discussed thoroughly.”