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The Big Take

Europe Is on a Wartime Mission to Ditch Russian Oil and Gas

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine will drive the continent back towards coal in the short term, but there could be warp-speed deployment of green energy this decade

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A World War II poster. 

A World War II poster. 

Source: The National Archives/SSPL/Getty Images

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought a wartime energy transition to Europe.

The continent’s decades-long timelines for overhauling energy supply systems that support more than 440 million people are now being revved up under extraordinary duress. Policy is changing in real time as political leaders in capitals across Europe adopt new positions by the day and missiles land on Kyiv.