The EU said Wednesday it was “prepared” for Moscow to suspend gas supplies to the 27-nation bloc and is planning a “coordinated” response after Russia’s Gazprom turned off the taps to Poland and Bulgaria.

“Gazprom’s announcement is another attempt by Russia to blackmail us with gas. We are prepared for this scenario. We are mapping out our coordinated EU response,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter.

“Europeans can trust that we stand united and in solidarity with the member states impacted.

Earlier, Gazprom had announced the halt of gas to both Poland and highly dependent Bulgaria after not receiving payment in rubles from the two EU members.

Source: AFP