Official: EU fully prepared in case Russia completely halts gas supplies.

Paolo Gentiloni, the European Union’s commissioner for economic affairs, said during a business forum in Italy that the EU is not “afraid of Putin’s decisions.” Russian gas giant Gazprom halted gas supplies via the Nord Stream gas pipeline on Aug. 31 for an indefinite period. Russia has been accused of constantly disrupting gas supplies via Nord Stream to blackmail and intimidate Europe.