MOSCOW, July 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will maintain constant energy supplies to Europe, President Vladimir Putin said during a Web cast Thursday.

"We have been delivering natural gas to Europe for the last 40 years," Putin said. "There were no failures on any single day."

Russia was heavily criticized in January in the midst of a dispute over prices for natural gas with Ukraine. Gazprom briefly cut off supplies to Ukraine, which then, according to the energy giant, siphoned off supplies to Europe, where consumers registered a shortfall.