“The FACT is that Europe NOW needs the Russian oil and gas, which amounts to 50% of its energy, and wont commit an economical hara-kiri, just to please the US.”
Yes, it is true that the Russians are the great dispenser of oil and gas to Europe. That is fundamental.
But the previous poster addressed a critical point which you have avoided with a strawman argument.
The Russian threat to cut off this oil to Europe is a threat with a knife to the throat of the Russian economy. In effect, it is no threat at all. Russia is a failed state and economy without its oil/gas exports.
The problem with that though, is that a aggressor State will convince it's self that they can do a quicky....minimize the downtime with a quick and decisive victory.
Hitler tried it with Russia....and if anyone could tell me what Putin would do with a refreshed military and half a reason, I might take the odds and the over/under..
Russia has a national debt of 8% of GDP
and $700 billion tresury reserve, so in short run, they can do whatever they please.
They can very well turn off the gas taps for a couple of weeks, until Europs cries “Uncle”. It’s already happened in 2006 and 2009.