Europe’s window to ban Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) is closing faster than we think. As a second Trump administration takes shape, Europe's opportunity to impose new, meaningful measures on Russian fossil fuels is rapidly diminishing. U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war allegedly includes offering sanctions relief in exchange for peace. Whether true or not, Europe will soon lose its ability to act independently on energy sanctions as they become bargaining chips in a twiste

Iran’s recent missile attacks against Israel serve as a stark reminder of the growing audacity of petro-dictatorships in flouting international norms and undermining global peace. Iran, emboldened by Russia’s relentless and indiscriminate assaults on Ukraine – targeting everything from hospitals and kindergartens to power stations with Iranian-made missiles and drones – highlights the perilous outcomes of unchecked aggression by these regimes. Despite facing (often limited) Western sanctions, t

Over two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Europe is still addicted to Russian fossil fuels. In spite of 13 sanctions packages against Russia and endless words of solidarity for Ukraine, recent data has revealed that many European Union countries continue to import massive amounts of liquified natural gas (LNG), propping up Russian President Vladimir Putin’s genocidal regime. The European Union has taken steps to break free from Russian fossil fuels in the wake of the full

As world leaders gather for meetings at the UN’s Climate Ambition Summit, the urgency of addressing the climate crisis cannot be overstated. At the same time, we must confront Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, where innocent lives are being lost daily. Over-dependence on Russian fossil fuels has already created severe energy insecurity, helped wreck the climate, and continued to threaten democracy. Russia's war connects these seemingly disparate issues, and the role of the international communi

Successful economic planning for any nation contains this crucial question: How can we replace imports, which funnel vital capital out of Ukraine, with local production and exports, which bring foreign capital and new employment opportunities to our national economy? With respect to the import and export of energy, this question holds additional implications for everything from geopolitics to sustainability. For Ukraine, these implications are now critical, especially amid the ongoing 2023 Ukra

The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Delivering her State of the Union Address last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was frank about Europe’s failures. Europe has failed to adequately address the threat from Russia, failed to act against disinformation and agents of influence within its borders, and failed to apply the lessons learned from the 1970s energy crisis by diversi