The EU countries have agreed to introduce a ceiling on gas prices from February 15, 2023.

A number of politicians have already written down this restriction in the list of "victories" over Russia.

“This means the end of market manipulation by Russia and its Gazprom company,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said gleefully.

However, in reality, everything is not so simple.

Firstly, the restriction with its complex dynamic conditions was introduced rather to prevent speculation in the European gas market (which is not done by Gazprom, but by the traders themselves, including European ones).

Secondly, if gas prices objectively rise (in Asia, for example, where all LNG will immediately be sent), then the restriction will simply cease to work: one of the conditions for shutting down is precisely the emergence of a threat to the European energy market.

The most interesting thing here is that the decision to introduce a ceiling, even such a weak one, caused serious resistance within the European Union.

Nine countries, including Germany, opposed the original conditions of the European Commission.

Yes, some experts assured that nothing terrible happened: the disagreements, they say, are of a “technical nature” and will be settled.

However, the differences here are not technical, but still strategic.

A serious crack has gone through within European unity, and the EU's attempt to cover it up with decorative repairs will lead nowhere.

The same Hungary very correctly stated that instead of adopting a ceiling on gas prices (which, once again, will simply be canceled with real growth), Brussels should take care of finding new suppliers.

Well, or (Budapest did not say this, but everything is read between the lines) by returning to the old ones.

First of all, to Russia.

More and more European countries are convinced that the current economic policy towards Russia is leading the Old World not even to a dead end, but to the abyss.

The fact is that the countries of Europe did not plan to follow this path so far, that is, to break off economic relations with Russia for a long time.

It was assumed that the West would be able, with the help of sanctions, to force the Kremlin to retreat, stop the special military operation and surrender under the guise of a compromise.

After that, as dividends, European countries would receive the same gas contracts on much more favorable terms, according to the “woe to the vanquished” principle.

However, this did not happen.

The West is already introducing the ninth package of sanctions, and the Russian economy is not going to capitulate.

Moreover, all relatively safe sanctions for the West itself have long been agreed upon and adopted.

Various new initiatives - embargoes, as well as oil and gas price ceilings - are already harming the EU economy proper, depriving it of its industrial potential and creating risks of social tension due to inflation.

The hope that Moscow would be able to sit at the “surrender table” also came to nothing.

Moreover, a number of economic and military-political decisions were made in Russia, indicating that Moscow is seriously ready to go to the end.

And here it is not so much the size of the economy that is important, but the willingness of the population to endure hardships for the sake of a higher goal.

And, judging by public opinion polls, the majority of Russians support a special military operation.

People support the idea of ​​peace talks, but only on Russian terms.

The Russians are ready to endure, but are the Europeans ready to endure?

Here, of course, the motive is important.

Citizens of the Russian Federation suffer hardships in order to protect their national interests.

For the sake of burning out, dismantling the anti-Russia that has arisen near the Russian borders and threatens the national security of the Motherland.

All the actions of Kyiv in recent months, including the torture of Russian prisoners, shelling of a nuclear power plant and barbaric targeted attacks on non-military and even non-infrastructural facilities in Donetsk, prove the existence of this threat and the need to eliminate it. 

And what is the motive of the Europeans?

To defend Ukraine, which is alien to them and whose refugees (or rather, rabies) are now behaving in Europe like insolent guests?

To contain Russia, which, according to some European politicians, is almost ready to march on Berlin?

So Putin has not taken a single step over the past ten months that could confirm the accusations of such plans.

Didn't give the European elites a single reason to support their propaganda. 

Yes, today Europe is forced to support this irrational line for political reasons.

However, the more difficult the socio-economic situation becomes for it, the more strength and voices the local opposition receives.

Take the same Germany, which, according to Bloomberg, has lost the most from a sharp rise in energy prices.

The internal political situation in this country has reached such a point that Berlin is forced to organize demonstrative arrests of right-wing activists on charges of an alleged plot to intimidate the German right and induce them to refuse to lead future street demonstrations.

There will probably be more to come.

That is why experts assure that the crack, which is still manifesting itself in “technical details”, will only increase.

And we'll wait.

The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.