Why Europe Can’t Seem to Kick Its Russian Energy Habit

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-12-19 17:02:25 | Updated at 2025-01-01 17:10:58 1 week ago

Why Europe Can’t Seem to Kick Its Russian Energy Habit
Bloomberg ^ | 18 Dec 25 | Elena Mazneva and Anna Shiryaevskaya

Posted on 12/19/2024 8:37:54 AM PST by delta7

(Bloomberg) -- Three years ago, Russia was the world’s biggest exporter of natural gas and Europe was its top customer. For the continent’s leaders, access to all that cheap Russian energy outweighed any misgivings over doing business with President Vladimir Putin.

Then Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and this overwhelming reliance on a single supplier suddenly looked like a threat to the region’s economic and political security.

Fear that Putin would cut off deliveries of gas, coal and oil to punish European nations for supporting Ukraine prompted a frantic scramble in search of alternative energy sources. The shift was formalized by sanctions on Moscow aimed at de-funding Putin’s war machine.

Today, European leaders are hailing an energy supply revolution. Many gas, oil and coal importers dropped Russia in favor of alternative sources. Consumers found ways to use less energy, reducing demand. In the end, the lights stayed on and most factories kept humming. But Europeans are now paying more for their energy, and some of its more power-hungry industries are struggling to remain globally competitive.

*What many aren’t aware of is that Russia remains one of the continent’s most important energy suppliers, and the European Union’s goal to end its dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2027 is looking hard to achieve*

How did Europe get so hooked on Russian energy?

It started more than half a century ago. The Soviet Union needed money and equipment to develop newly discovered giant gas fields in Siberia amid tensions with China and the US. West Germany was hunting for cheap energy to support its fast-growing manufacturing sector. ….

TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: energy; yurp; yurpeons

Hey! FReepers!
Help Fill The Tank!
How About It? Huh?
It Ain't Askin' Too Much
Ya Know....

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.

Senile Joe blowing up the Nordstream pipeline put a real hurt on the EU….energy prices quadrupled plus, German manufacturing castrated…..and Vlad continues to fill his pockets $$$ while the West descends into bankruptcy.

1 posted on 12/19/2024 8:37:54 AM PST by delta7

To: delta7

Supply and demand.The Euroweenies brought this all in themselves.

2 posted on 12/19/2024 8:39:47 AM PST by rrrod (6)

To: delta7

“The purpose of NATO is to keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down,”

Lord Lional Ismay. First NATO General Secretary.

3 posted on 12/19/2024 8:41:16 AM PST by PGR88

To: delta7

Because you can’t “Just stop oil” Patroleum is crucial for industrialized economies and will continue to be forever imo.

4 posted on 12/19/2024 8:41:35 AM PST by Bayard

To: delta7

Because the European peasants don’t want to freeze to death since their masters the watermelon Marxists choked off their own domestic energy?

To: wildcard_redneck

Russian suppliers s. American environmentalists. Guess who wins?

6 posted on 12/19/2024 8:46:27 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET

To: delta7

Expecting Germany or the rest of Western Europe to hold to swearing off Russian natural gas after this war is over is like expecting Joe Biden not to pardon Hunter. Not gonna happen.

7 posted on 12/19/2024 8:48:18 AM PST by chuckee

To: delta7

Anybody who hates Russia should support drill baby drill and mine baby mine.

8 posted on 12/19/2024 8:52:36 AM PST by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Read Entire Article