Why Russian gas is (today) irreplaceable

Lhe European desire to cut off the Russian gas tap to dry up the sources of financing for the invasion of Ukraine raises the question of credible alternatives. While the European Commission last month unveiled a plan to cut its hydrocarbon purchases from Russia by two-thirds (45% of European gas imports) by the end of the year, the idea to go further and impose an immediate embargo on Russian fossil fuels is currently gaining ground in Brussels. The question is the subject of bitter debate between the Member States, given the dependence of certain countries – Finland, the Czech Republic, Hungary (more than 95%), Germany (55%) – with regard to Russian gas. The Commission has already started negotiations with other pro…