Despite the majestic statements from Europe, the old continent has yet to stop Russian gas. In contrast, the latest data shows growing dependence, but this is facing a surprise punch from across the Atlantic. A US-popular sanctions bill with a tax rate of up to 500% for any country that continues fuel trade with Russia.
Data from the European Gas Operations Network (ENTSOG) shows that in May 2025, Russian gas exports via the Turkstream gas pipeline increased by 10.3% compared to the previous month, to 46 million cubic meters/day.
This is the only Russian gas pipeline to Europe that is still operating stably after Ukraine terminated the transit agreement from January 1, 2025.
It is worth noting that this increase comes in the context of the West continuously calling for a reduction in dependence on Russian energy. However, reality is proving the opposite: Russian gas is still a lifeline for many European countries, especially Eastern and Southern European countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria or Greece.
Not only gas, in February 2025 alone, the EU spent more than 2 billion USD on Russian energy products, from oil, coal, LNG to uranium.
In a surprising but carefully calculated move, a group of Republicans and Democrats - led by Republican Senate member Lindsay Graham and Richard Blumenthal (Democrats) - are pushing for a sanctions bill with the aim of directly targeting Russia's energy revenue.
Accordingly, any country that knows clearly and still buys, sells or transfers oil, gas, uranium or petrochemical products of Russian origin will be subject to a tax rate of no less than 500%.
The indirect but obvious goal of the bill is Europe - countries that still quietly import Russian LNG through ports in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Spain or Portugal; or also depend on gas pipelines such as Turkstream or the Druzhba oil pipeline (leading Russian oil through Ukraine and Belarus to Europe).
The bill has now received 81 signatures in the US Senate, almost ensuring its approval. If it becomes a law, it would be a real geopolitical and economic shock, forcing Europe to choose or completely abandon Russian fuel, or pay huge tariffs on imports from the US - the number one trading partner of many EU countries.
