{"id":11920,"date":"2025-10-24T11:40:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T08:40:10","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-10-24T11:40:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T08:40:10","slug":"the-misguided-path-of-sanctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harici.com.tr\/en\/the-misguided-path-of-sanctions\/","title":{"rendered":"The misguided path of sanctions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note:<\/strong>\u00a0Alexander Rahr is one of Germany’s leading foreign policy experts. He served at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) for twenty years, where his leadership role was influential in shaping the country’s foreign policy. Specializing in relations between Germany and Russia, Rahr is known for his research on Eastern European policies. With his analytical depth and intellectual approach, he holds a respected position in both academic circles and among decision-makers. Rahr, a recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, has successfully drawn the German public’s attention to this strategic geography through his analyses of the Eurasian region.<\/p>\n

According to Rahr, the European Union aims to neutralize Moscow’s “energy weapon” by halting energy imports from Russia, but this step is making the continent dependent on American energy sources. Although many countries, including Germany, are moving away from Russia, this stance is dragging the EU economy into a prolonged energy crisis. Rahr emphasizes that in the long run, Russia and China are more critical partners for Europe’s raw material security than the United States.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The misguided path of sanctions<\/h3>\n

Alexander Rahr<\/p>\n

Ostwirtschaft.de<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

October 23, 2025<\/p>\n

The European Union wants to halt all natural gas and oil shipments from Russia within a few months. The ban on Russian energy sources will remain in effect even if the war in Ukraine ends. EU leaders argue that by giving up Russian energy supplies, they want to take away the Kremlin’s “energy weapon,” a tool they claim Moscow has long used to threaten Europe.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In its effort to end its energy dependence on Russia, the EU is now making itself dependent on the United States and exposing itself to its “energy weapon.” The only real alternative to Russian oil and natural gas is seen as American shale oil and liquefied natural gas, obtained through hydraulic fracturing (fracking), an extremely environmentally harmful method. Europe’s identity is no longer being shaped by the Green Deal, as it was until recently, but by a military orientation against Russia (and subsequently China). The energy weapon is now turned against Russia: the goal is to eliminate the Kremlin’s future war-making capacity by neutralizing Gazprom, Rosneft, and other Russian energy companies.<\/p>\n

Germany, Europe’s leading energy importer, has adopted the perspective of Poland and the Baltic states, which have opposed Russia since joining the EU and NATO. However, whether the Brussels administration realizes it or not, the policy of moving away from Russia is plunging the EU into a prolonged energy crisis, which will lead to a structural weakening of the European economy.<\/p>\n

Countries like Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia will be unable to survive without Russian energy supplies; providing long-term artificial supply to these countries from Western Europe is not feasible. Europe must see its lack of natural resources as a dangerous challenge for its future. In the long run, Russia and China will be far more important economic partners and guarantors for Europe’s raw material security than the United States.<\/p>\n

Europe remains indifferent to a strategically important energy supplier: T\u00fcrkiye. The remaining natural gas pipelines from Russia to Europe currently run through T\u00fcrkiye. This transit is an indispensable source of income for Ankara. Therefore, it does not seem realistic for the EU to implement its decision to turn off the gas tap to T\u00fcrkiye by 2027.<\/p>\n

Then there is the issue of the Nord Stream pipelines. The EU’s ban on Russian gas primarily covers these pipelines. However, after the conflict in Ukraine ends, the possibility might arise that American companies could take over these idle pipelines to supply the EU with natural gas from Russia and Central Asia. This gas, pumped westward, would officially be considered “American gas” if the U.S. were to purchase it at the Russian border.<\/p>\n

The final word on European energy security has not yet been spoken. If the EU leaves Siberia’s vast raw material and energy potential to China, it will be shooting itself in the foot.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note:\u00a0Alexander Rahr is one of Germany’s leading foreign policy experts. He served at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) for twenty years, where his leadership role was influential in shaping the country’s foreign policy. Specializing in relations between Germany and Russia, Rahr is known for his research on Eastern European policies. With his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11921,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1182,3587,610,503,778,1059,545,683,2374,409,822,1192],"class_list":["post-11920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","tag-energy","tag-energy-sanctions","tag-eu","tag-headline","tag-hungary","tag-kremlin","tag-nord-stream","tag-russia","tag-slovakia","tag-turkiye","tag-ukraine","tag-united-states"],"yoast_head":"\nThe misguided path of sanctions - Harici<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The European Union wants to halt all natural gas and oil shipments from Russia within a few months.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/harici.com.tr\/en\/the-misguided-path-of-sanctions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The misguided path of sanctions - 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