Europe’s Gas Crisis: How Russia’s Cutoff Changed Everything

So, back in 2022, Russia turned off the gas taps to Europe. And just like that, an entire continent was plunged into an energy crisis. It was a real moment of truth, and it kicked off this frantic scramble to keep the lights on and homes warm. In this explainer, we’re going to break down how decades of policy made Europe so vulnerable, how they managed to pull back from the brink, and what the true cost of that survival really was.

Okay, let’s get into it. You know, this quote just frames the whole story perfectly. It’s that classic fable, right? The ant working hard all summer to prepare for winter and the grasshopper just kind of chilling out who gets caught by surprise.

As we’re about to see, Europe’s energy strategy for the last few decades, well, it’s been a mix of both. Some countries were playing the ant while others were definitely playing the grasshopper. So, the big question is how did Europe get so vulnerable in the first place?

I mean, this wasn’t some freak accident. It was actually the result of some really big long-term decisions that looking back now feel like one heck of a gamble. Okay, so this slide really lays out the blueprint for the crisis. For years, the popular thinking was…