How long did Russia withhold heating supplies? I'm asking in order to learn 2 things--how long was Russia willing to do without the income or did she sell elsewhere; and did the Eastern Europeans find a way around the problem after a while or have to tough it out for a whole winter?
Natural disasters also disrupt all kinds of supplies. We were without power for a week after an earthquake. Before you jump, I'm not equating the two. My point is that after that happened to us, we bought a generator, laid in specific supplies for a long siege...
I know that individual customers cannot contract for heating supplies apart from what is set up to come into the country, but governments can. Did they try it then? Have they set anything up now?
I'm not trying to challenge you on this, I really want to know because an individual family is pretty much screwed in such a situation, but the leadership of a country can take some action--in an unexpected emergency, the response will certainly not be immediate. OTOH they shouldn't be taken by surprise again.
I would hope some protective preparations have been taken--orders from non-Russian sources for a partial supply. A ship isn't the same as a pipe line and an already set up pipe line has to be supported by continued purchases. But partial shipments--maybe even held in storage for an emergency could make all the difference. If you have that ready, you could buy more while living off the partial till the new shipment comes in.