How Putin held Europe hostage over energy | FT Energy Source

Financial Times ^ | Sep 08 2022 | FT

[SmokingJoe]

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted the biggest shake-up of European energy markets this century. This film explains how Europe became so dependent on cheap Russian gas, and explores the hard choices facing the EU as it tries to balance energy security and climate ambitions. Read more at https://on.ft.com/3D7bv31

[SmokingJoe]

The Europeans should have listened to President Trump. Today, they are paying the price for their arrogance. 24 minutes.

[cranked]

Europeans held themselves ‘hostage.’ Fact.

87-90% of the world does not support the US-led economic sanctions (economic war) of Russia.

‘Nearly 90 Percent of the World Isn’t Following Us on Ukraine’
https://www.newsweek.com/nearly-90-percent-world-isnt-following-us-ukraine-opinion-1743061

[SmokingJoe]

All true.

[antceecee]

Sort of like how Brandon is holding USA hostage using energy every day since he stole power?

[Jyotishi]

“Sort of like how Brandon is holding USA hostage”

You do have a point there.

[DesertRhino]

You can’t be an obnoxious menace to your supplier. Until the EU/NATO did that, they got all the gas they wanted and low prices. But if they are expansionist, provocative, insulting, and undermining and the object of their crap show cuts them off that’s “holding them hostage“.

I would never decide McDonald’s was holding my hamburger supply “hostage” if they said I can’t come in if a start fights and damage the store when I visit.

[Reeses]

climate ambitions

The climate absolutely sucks in most of Europe, but the Europeans love their invisible fence because it reduces the number of dark people that move there. Since they voted out of Africa long ago, Caucasus Mountain people are willing to sacrifice anything, freeze off any body part, to keep away from undomesticated equator people. They are fighting to preserve Europe's mud people freeze off season.

[mikey_hates_everything]

“Held”? Winter doesn’t begin for 3 months.

[Travis McGee]

[Cronos]

“The Europeans”? Mostly you mean “the Germans”

Poland switched off Russian energy. So too did the baltics.

Bulgaria is dependent, but they are small and poor.

France gets 70% of its energy needs from nuclear power.

the UK doens’t import Russian energy.

It’s Germany pure and simple - they didn’t listen to Trump

[mac_truck]

The Germans can throw out Sholz and turn on Nordstream-2 whenever they’ve had enough economic/social pain...their problems are self inflicted.

[Kazan]

There really isn’t a cheap alternative to Russia oil and gas in a country like Germany. To the extent an alternative exists, it’s us. But, the Biden regime won’t even drill for more of our own oil to keep prices down.

[SmokingJoe]

To the extent an alternative exists, it's us. But, the Biden regime won't even drill for more of our own oil to keep prices down.

Yup.
Plus the Germans never even bothered facilities to convert US LNG back to gas. An FT program I posted here earlier says Germany doesn't have even one LNG conversion facility right now.
They were too busy enjoying cheap natural gas from Russia and made no provisions for when/if the Russians cut them off.

[SmokingJoe]

“The Europeans”? Mostly you mean “the Germans”

In case you forgot, Germany is b far the biggest and strongest and most powerful economy in Europe.

Poland switched off Russian energy. So too did the baltics.

You mean the Russians cut them off, yes?

Russia's Gazprom shuts off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria -

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/26/energy/poland-russia-gas/index.html

Bulgaria is dependent, but they are small and poor

If you are small and poor, you need energy and power at lest as much as anyone else, if not even more.