MOSCOW (AP) — Gazprom on Tuesday accused the European Commission of pressuring the Russian firm into slashing gas prices for its customers soon after President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that could hinder the EU probe.

The European Commission last week launched a probe to find out whether Gazprom blocked competition in gas markets in Central and Eastern Europe. State-owned Gazprom has been under pressure for its pricing for some time. Some of its clients negotiated discounts while others threatened with lawsuits.