Opium For Europe: lack of a competitive alternative to Russian gas makes pragmatists discuss the hypothetical possibility of its return to the European market
Putin's geopolitical ambitions and the unleashed war have almost destroyed the fifty-year gas alliance between Russia and Europe, which was based on cooperation between the USSR/Russia, primarily with Germany. However, replacing Russian gas will take time and require long-term guarantees for new suppliers. Yet even then, the gas would become more expensive, and this would reduce the competitiveness of German industry — the economic powerhouse of Europe.