Russia won’t resume gas supplies to Europe until western sanctions are lifted, the Kremlin has warned.

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, blamed the “collective West” for its decision to shut down flows through the crucial Nord Stream pipeline.

He told the Interfax news agency: “The problems pumping gas came about because of the sanctions western countries introduced against our country and several companies.

“There are no other reasons that could have caused this pumping problem.”

It marks Russia’s clearest admission to date that its cuts to energy supplies are a retaliation against western sanctions, rather than a result of technical faults, as it previously claimed.