Russia halted natural gas supplies to neighboring Finland on Saturday. The Finnish energy group Gasum announced on Friday that it was “highly regrettable” that the contractually agreed deliveries were now being suspended. “But we have carefully prepared for this situation, and if there are no disruptions in the gas network, we will be able to supply all of our customers with gas in the coming months,” said Gasum boss Mika Wiljanen, according to the announcement.

Gas from other sources will be made available to customers over the summer, it said. According to Gasum, it is currently the only energy company in Finland that purchases gas directly from Russia.

The company had already said a few days ago that there was an “increased risk” that the Russian energy giant Gazprom would suspend its natural gas deliveries to Finland in the dispute over payment in rubles. The country had rejected corresponding demands from Moscow. Natural gas accounts for eight percent of the Finnish energy mix.

Finland also submitted an application for NATO membership together with Sweden on Wednesday. The two Nordic countries want to join the Western military alliance under the impression of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia criticized the effort as a “serious mistake”.