Putin Turns the Tables on the European Union

Cutting Germany’s energy supply makes it obvious what kind of deadly game Vladimir Putin is playing. Can he still be beaten?

Photo by ANTIPOLYGON YOUTUBE on Unsplash.

“US officials say ‘biggest fear’ has come true as Russia cuts gas supplies to Europe,” wrote Natasha Bertrand for CNN on July 26, 2022.

“Russia’s energy coercion has put pressure on energy markets, raised prices for consumers, and threatened global energy security,” a National Security Council spokesperson told CNN. “These actions only underscore the importance of the work the United States and European Commission are doing to end our reliance on Russian energy.”

“We will continue working with our European partners to reduce dependence on Russian energy and support their efforts to prepare for further Russian destabilization of energy markets,” the spokesperson added.

“Russia Cuts Gas Flow to Europe, Intensifying Fears It Is Weaponizing Fuel,” lamented the New York Times on July 25, 2022. “On the eve of a European Union meeting to debate a gas conservation plan to make the bloc less vulnerable to a Russian squeeze, Moscow slashed the flow to Germany.”

While outlets like CNN and the NYT aren’t openly wondering why E.U. leaders weren’t prepared for this worst-case scenario some must have at least suspected was coming, notes of mystification are…