The Kremlin has already come under fire for striking a deal with the US over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which according to some, undermines Poland's national security and Ukraine's territorial security. Similar concerns have been raised about Hungary's recent dealings with Russia as the two nations negotiated a 15-year deal for Budapest to access gas from the TurkStream pipeline in the Black Sea. To say that Vladimir Putin is a de facto energy tzar of Europe makes it more likely than not to come to the EU for an energy crisis.
Dwindling energy supplies and a push for green energy threaten to leave the European Union in a precarious position this winter. Intermitted power sources like wind and solar do not need winter heating and lights, leaving Europe to search for energy sources elsewhere. Increasing quantities of gas and coal have favored the Asian market in recent months, which has experienced a growing appetite for energy. In a bid to alleviate the energy crisis before winter strikes, Russia may need to look to Mr. Putin to satisfy its energy needs, although there is no guarantee Russia will have the capacity to meet the sudden increase in demand.
There are also concerns that Russia may strategically withhold gas and coal supplies from the EU, to leverage the crisis against the bloc. According to Natasha Tyrina, principal analyst for Wood Mackenzie Ltd. Russia will not be able to accommodate a sudden shift to coal just before winter. She told Bloomberg: If all the European utilities switch to coal it will result in a huge increase in coal demand that Russia alone cannot provide on such a short notice. That would need supply from other countries as well, such as USA for example, but the situation there is similar to every place else. It's not just Europe that is sorely stressed over energy and gas supplies.
Expert added that Russia will struggle to reroute its supplies to Europe as there are existing contracts with Asian clients and transportation capacity is limited. However, it appears as if the Kremlin is yet to make a formal request for resources from the EU. Russian officials said on Thursday no such request has come through, following a report in Bloomberg that cited two Russian companies saying European suppliers are asking for more coal. The Russian Energy Ministry said: The Russian Energy Ministry has not received any appeals from China or the European countries on increasing coal exports from Russia. Earlier this month experts warned heating could become something of a luxury as a result of the energy crisis.