Brussels - (AFP) - The European Union confirmed Wednesday that it is "ready" for Moscow to suspend gas supplies to the 27-country bloc, and plans a "coordinated" response after Gazprom cut off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria.

"The Gazprom announcement is another attempt by Russia to blackmail us with gas. We are ready for this scenario. We are preparing a coordinated EU response," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.

"The Europeans can trust that we stand shoulder to shoulder and in solidarity with the member states affected" by the move, she added.

"We have worked to ensure alternative supplies and the best stocking levels across the European Union," she added.

She emphasized that "member states have drawn up contingency plans for such a scenario, and we have worked with them in a coordinated manner and in solidarity."

It condemned Russia's unilateral step, describing it as "unjustified and unacceptable," saying that it "confirms once again that Russia is not trusted as a gas supplier."
"A meeting of the Gas Coordination Group will be held in the meantime," she confirmed.