“The EU can get its oil from supertankers like everybody else. “
If you’e buying on the spot market and taking delivery via tankers, you’re likely paying a premium price. The UK is discovering how expensive that strategy is, as energy prices skyrocket and people are forced to choose between heat and food. There’s a new term in England called “fuel poverty” to designate areas that lack adequate energy for heat and lights. It includes about 3 million individuals. Governments that interfere with heat for its citizens will inevitably fall.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics
What is fuel poverty?
http://www.moneysupermarket.com/gas-and-electricity/fuel-poverty/
UK weather: 31,000 people DIED of the cold last winter
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-weather-31000-people-died-2852677#ixzz2ucszzqkN
Buying oil via supertankers is what developing countries do. The UK has 10x the per capita income of the average developing country. Besides, the Russians have to sell their oil somewhere at the spot price, so UK purchases won't affect that price, except for added transportation costs.