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Written by Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert
Once again, the European reality confronts the anti-Russian madness fomented by the US. According to recent data published by the German media, Moscow has overtaken Washington as the largest supplier of natural gas to the EU. This shows that Europe, despite adhering to sanctions, will not be able to get rid of energy cooperation with Russia any time soon, being the project of “isolating” Moscow absolutely unfeasible.
Since 2022, the EU has maintained several sanctions against the Russian Federation in retaliation for the launch of the special military operation in Ukraine. Brussels has set itself the goal of eliminating any dependence on Russian energy as quickly as possible, which has led European countries to seek more expensive sources of energy just to avoid buying Russian gas.
One of the main alternatives found by Europe was the purchase of American gas. The high price of the commodity and the serious logistical and transportation difficulties have been frequent problems in energy cooperation between the EU and the US. However, the main directive of European governments is simply not to buy any Russian products, which is why, even though there is no strategic advantage in buying American gas, Europe has taken this initiative.
The European economic reality, however, puts the EU in a vicious cycle when it comes to anti-Russian sanctions. The more it needs to buy expensive American gas to keep its society functioning, the more Europe runs out of funds – which threatens the very continuity of energy cooperation with the US. So, the Europeans have no other alternative but to circumvent their own anti-Russian sanctions.
According to the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, in the second quarter of 2024, Russia was responsible for supplying 17% of the gas consumed in Europe. European countries received around 12 billion cubic meters of Russian gas, slightly exceeding the American supply. Most of this gas reaches Europe via Belarus or Ukraine, but a significant portion of it also flows through the TurkStream undersea pipeline.
The Kiev regime has recently threatened to ban the flow of Russian gas through its territory, which has created serious tensions with countries such as Hungary and Slovakia – which, in addition to depending on Russian gas for their domestic supply, have maintained a dissident stance in Europe, condemning the irrational anti-Russian sanctions. Even if the ban actually occurs, the flow of gas through Belarus and Turkey is likely to increase, in addition to the fact that there are alternative routes in the Caucasus that can be used more frequently.
It is also important to emphasize that data on direct cooperation do not always reflect the reality of energy cooperation. In addition to Russian gas and oil being sent directly to Europe, Europeans also purchase it through third-party agents. Some countries buy Russian commodities and resell them at higher prices to European countries. This is the case of India, for example, which has profited from the resale of Russian oil to Europe. In the same vein, Turkey is reportedly reselling Russian gas to Europe. Even though they pay more in this type of scheme, some EU members prefer to do so simply to circumvent sanctions and not negotiate directly with Moscow.
This information only confirms what several experts have been warning since 2022: Europe will never become fully “independent” from Russia. Geography is the natural destiny of a state. Since Europe and Russia are geographically close, both need to learn how to deal strategically with each other. Trying to “isolate” Russia – which is the largest country in the world, in addition to being self-sufficient in energy and food – will only harm the European states themselves.
The US has always profited from sanctions. In addition to creating frictions between Russia and Europe, the Americans have managed to expand the business of their energy companies by exploiting Europe’s weakness. It is time for Europe to understand that this is a real geopolitical trap. The EU is being driven to bankruptcy by suicidal measures adopted due to the influence of Washington – which allegedly is a “partner” of Europe, but in reality deliberately boycotts European states to protect its interests of geopolitical hegemony.
Only cooperation with Russia can lead Europe to a future of stability and prosperity.
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the eu are a bunch of fags, they can all blow russia’s pipe.
blow pipes and start buying liquid gas from russia, because it’s cheaper and faster to deliver from yamal peninsula. meanwhile “volkswagen” is closing its factories, because their cars are too expensive and will cost more having expensive lng from american continent. basf moved its production to the us and china, because china has reliable quantities of resources from “strength of sibir'” pipe. or “power of…”, but strength is more correct word.
the bear would not want faggot maggots anywhere near its “pipe”.
you meant ‘r.f. still providing energy to enemy e.u. states to help them blast r.f. land, towns, people and military’, didn’t you?
is helping one’s declared enemy during a territorial conflict a part of some cunning plan or simply to keep the rus oligarchy happy? who then is running this fiasco?
the idea is to have more brains than the pipe the gas travels in. in case you didn’t know this.. the eu countries are paying russia for this gas.
one doesn’t sell key resources that help the mic in e.u (a declared “enemy state”) at any price at all!! the result will be a far bigger cost to one’s people – but anything for the oligarchy, eh?
feb 22 ursula.vdl declared e.u would “bring down the kremlin” – at that point r.f. should have switched off energy (it should have switched ukr energy years before).
r.f. also supplies usa ffs! brains are where, exactly?
same question to westerners — why do they buy totalitarian gas with molecules of non-freedom and smell of stalin? do they read their own press? “it’s extremely dangerous to our democracy!” but if it was up to me, i would stop resources trading, though no tragedy in trading. let more english pensioners to freeze until 30-40 thousand a year will rise to 300-400 thousands or even millions. and not english only, but everywhere in eu, except those who signed long-term contracts.
it isn’t the same question. eu/uk have no energy surplus, so need imported oil/gas no matter what it ‘smells’ of or costs, as they teeter into unreliable/expensive ‘green’ energy.
r.f. gas won’t lower uk prices, it is just cheap energy to help the mic.
the uk pays wind turbines tax payer money not to produce electricity rather than lower prices to the tax payers!! uk neoliberalism promotes the greed of the ‘corporate elites’ above the needs of its people; not dissimilar to r.f.
“…in the second quarter of 2024, russia was responsible for supplying 17% of the gas consumed in europe.”
in europe or eu? difference is big.
the whole world wants uncle sam to fuck off and die. including europe.
except r.f, which sells b*den’s psychos cheap energy by the back door (via a deal signed in nov 22).
r.f. is split, the oligarchs v the ordinary people (profit and prestige v acceptable invasion, damage and death). follow the money and see who really works for whom.
russia still selling gas to countries that want it destroyed. thats a more accurate headline.
and putin s just be welcomed gloriously by turkey or wherever, as a hero despite that country being a party to the icc s arrest warrant issued for him. they’re all basically giving the moonshine back to the west
question: when russia is being “terrorized” by them , their citizens murdered and looted and their property trashed (since 1992), ie. the nordstream 2 why does russian continue to do business with them and not cut them off completely?… again. this goes to the heart of their powerless veto in the un/unsc that continues to hold them as hostages -especially their foreign service abroad in the west?… nothing to be proud of with this announcement!
geography is destiny…and you cannot escape geography. it is much better to foster good relations with neighbors than bow down to distant anglo american imperial snakes who do not care about you. the world needs to understand this lesson by now
this is way, way off-context. wartime economies are not peacetime economies. one’s ‘neighbour’ is the e.u, which is actively stealing r.f. assests, killing r.f. citizens and invading r.f. territory in order to “break the r.f.” (k.kallas).
where is the logic in assisting this deadly plan, other than to place the greed of the oligarchs above the needs of the country/people? it is, ultimately, west-friendly self-harming idiocy.
when the transgender mutant retards and hoes running the evil eussr are finally dumped pentacon terrorists will be booted out of urupp quicker than you can say anglozionazi filth. the stinking ussan albatross around the euro peons scrawny neck is falling to bits. soon $lumville will tear itself apart in the mother of all civil wars. as for the open zionazi sewer in palestine they are also ready to kill each other as nut’nyahoo the rat barely hangs on to his a$$. isn’t karma just grand!