German press in March revealed that US President Donald Trump's special advisor had secretly negotiated with the Kremlin to restore gas supplies via Nord Stream 2 - a gas pipeline that was sabotaged in 2022 and has been abandoned since then. If this happens, it could disrupt Europe's efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian gas.
In 2018, when Trump warned Germany at the United Nations about its dangerous dependence on Russian energy, German diplomats seemed to ignore it.
But now, although Germany - the only gateway to gas from Nord Stream - has determined to cut off energy ties with Russia, Mr. Trump is looking to force Europe to do the opposite. He cited the reason for "guaranteeing peace" in Ukraine, but in fact, this move only makes Europe dependent on Russian gas - something the continent is trying to eliminate.
Some say that the European industry is dying due to high energy prices, and a lack of cheap gas from Russia is a luxury. In fact, Germany is falling into recession with industrial output 10% lower than before the pandemic.
But returning to Russia is just a short-term solution with long-term consequences, said Dr. Maurizio Geri of the German Marshall Foundation in Brussels.
writing on the National Interest page, Dr Gery said that Europe has invested more than 140 billion USD to support Ukraine and committed an additional 840 billion USD to national defense. "Switching this security just to get a cheaper gas source is a risky decision," Gery pointed out.
According to Dr Gery, Europe does not need to return to Russia, but should instead expand strategic energy relations. The US, Norway and Algeria have helped offset gas supplies, but prices remain unstable. A more sustainable long-term solution is to target Gulf countries.
Qatar, the UAE and Oman are holding 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG). Cooperating with them not only ensures stable supply but also opens up strategic investment opportunities.
Gulf corporations have begun to bet on the European economy. The UAE's ADNOC oil and gas giant has just acquired Covestro, a major German chemical company, and is conducting a $60 billion merger deal with the Austrian OMV Group to create a giant in the global chemical industry.
Meanwhile, Saudi Telecom has just bought nearly 10% of Telefon (Spain) shares for 2.2 billion USD, helping Europe maintain its commitment to energy diversification without relying on Moscow.
According to Dr Gerry, Europe is facing an important turning point: Either returning to the path of dependence on Russian gas, or steadfastly pursuing energy independence and sustainable economic development.
