According to Professor of International Politics at the University of Birmingham, Dr. Scott Lucas, the Europeans do not know what the Russian president will do, and whether he will stop gas and energy supplies to the Europeans or not.
Lucas said that if the Russian president did this, the winter would be very difficult for European countries, which have been in danger since the start of the Russian war on Ukraine.
It is expected to resume pumping Russian gas through the "Nord Stream 1" line Thursday after the end of the periodic maintenance, but the Europeans are apprehensive about Putin's intentions, who in his statements waved to stop energy supplies from Europe.
While he talked about discussions and plans that took place between European governments in order to find alternative sources of Russian gas, but in the long run, Lucas indicated - in his speech to an episode (20/2022) of the "Beyond the News" program - that the Europeans are forced to bear the high cost of the war. Like the Ukrainians, they have to tell the fans if their heating is cut off.
However, a professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham stressed the need for European countries to continue to support Ukraine in order to achieve victory over Russia, which he said is very weak in its military position and suffered great losses during the war, but nonetheless wanted Ukraine to surrender and eliminate it.
Military support for Ukraine
For his part, the editor-in-chief of the German newspaper "Handinsblatt", Matthias Brugmann, indicated that Europe is waiting for the Russian president's decision on gas and energy supplies, and is not sure of his position, despite what he said in Tehran on Tuesday that the Russian gas giant "Gazprom" will fulfill "full "Its commitments to its customers, and he said that his goal is to signal to the Europeans and the West the need to stop their aid to Ukraine.
And Brogmann painted a bleak picture for Europe if the Russian president carried out his threat to cut off energy and gas supplies to the Europeans, and said that it would be a major dilemma for countries such as Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia.
But he ruled out that Putin would take this step because he needs funds to finance his war on Ukraine, acknowledging that Germany suffers from dependence on Russia, although its needs for Russian gas have been reduced to 40%. Therefore, Berlin opposes imposing sanctions on Russian gas, unlike Russian oil and fuel.
And about the consequences of war and who will cry first, the Russians or the Europeans, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Handesblatt" indicated in his speech to the episode that the conflict is still continuing in eastern Ukraine, and that the Russian forces have incurred great losses due to the American and British military support to the Ukrainian forces, and if this support continues, it will be Victory is an ally of Ukraine, and then Putin retreats and finds a window for negotiations with Kyiv.
A report by the International Monetary Fund confirmed that the suspension of Russian gas supplies to Ukraine would lead to a decline in GDP and a recession.