Gas tap turned off. Panic in the Kremlin, they are begging for help

• The European Union is seeking to completely cut off gas imports from Russia.
• This is a potentially serious blow to the Kremlin, which is already grappling with the consequences of sanctions imposed by the West.
• Vladimir Putin sees an opportunity to reverse this trend in Donald Trump's policies.

Let us recall that the European Commission plans to propose introducing a ban on concluding new contracts for the import of Russian gas by the end of the year.

The EU wants to become independent from Russian gas imports by the end of 2027.

The total loss of the European market is a major problem for the Kremlin. Moscow now meets just 19 percent of Europe's gas demand, down from 40 percent before the war - mostly in the form of LNG and through the TurkStream pipeline through Turkey.

As a result of the drastic reduction in Russian gas imports, Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, has reported a loss of $7 billion in 2023, according to Reuters. The Russian budget is also suffering.

Russia is doing everything it can to return to gas trade with Europe. President Donald Trump may help it do so.

Sources close to the bilateral talks suggest that restoring Russia's role as a gas supplier to the European Union could be part of a peace deal with President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reports.

The Agency notes that:

• although most European countries have found alternative energy sources, some recipients have remained dependent on Russian gas ;
• According to industry representatives, others may return to shopping if peace is reached;
• Moscow hopes that US involvement in the process of restoring supplies could help overcome political resistance from many European countries.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has clearly expressed her opposition to returning to Russian energy sources. "Some people still say that we should reopen the tap on Russian gas and oil. That would be a historic mistake, which we will never allow. Russia has repeatedly proven that it is not a reliable supplier," she said during a session of the European Parliament on 7 May.