Asia cannot replace Europe: expert discusses consequences of losing European gas market for Kremlin
15 March 20:11
The European Union’s complete rejection of Russian gas will be a serious blow to the Kremlin, as Russia is effectively unable to compensate for the lost market by supplying the product to Asia. The reason for this is infrastructure limitations and dependence on one large buyer.
This was stated by Mikhail Gonchar, an expert on international energy and security relations, in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the expert, Russia’s gas logistics have been built around Europe for decades. Gas pipelines were laid specifically to EU countries, which made transportation cheap and convenient. In contrast, the Asian market has a completely different structure and is not connected to the main deposits in Western Siberia.
“It will not be possible to simply transfer gas from Europe to Asia,” he says.
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
In addition, Russia had dozens of gas buyers in the European market and could maneuver prices and political pressure. In Asia, the situation is different: the main buyer is China, which has a stronger negotiating position.
“There is only one key customer—China. It dictates the price,” the expert emphasizes.
At the same time, Gonchar suggests that the Kremlin may try to use the crisis in the energy markets to artificially drive up gas prices and force Europe to reconsider its policy of abandoning Russian fuel.
“The Kremlin’s plan is to repeat the story of 2022. Back then, they artificially limited gas supplies to the European market, thereby causing prices to escalate,” he added.
Watch us on YouTube: important topics – without censorship
It should be noted that the European Union has approved a final rejection of Russian pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) by the end of 2027, switching to alternative sources. The ban on LNG will take effect on January 1, 2027, and on pipeline gas in the fall of 2027.
