Risky Climate

The Case for the EU Cutting Off Its Russian Gas Supply Now

Instead of waiting until 2030, Europe might as well rip the Band-Aid off.

A jogger runs past the Nord Stream 2 gas receiving station in Lubmin, Germany, on Nov. 12, 2021. Germany halted approval of the pipeline because of the crisis in Ukraine. — A jogger runs past the Nord Stream 2 gas receiving station in Lubmin, Germany, on Nov. 12, 2021. Germany halted approval of the pipeline because of the crisis in Ukraine.
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

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By Gernot Wagner

February 25, 2022 at 11:00 AM UTC

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The long buildup to yesterday’s Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted lots of hand-wringing about Europe’s energy security and what would happen if Russia were to suddenly turn off gas exports going to Europe. But what if, instead, Europe went cold turkey on Russian gas?