Explaining why natural gas plays such a big role in the Russia-Ukraine crisis
As much as 40% of Europe's natural gas supply comes from Russia, a reliance that puts U.S. allies like Germany in a jam when it comes to finding a sanctions solution to the crisis.
As the U.S. and its allies work to present a unified front to avert a Russian invasion of Ukraine, worries about Europe's energy reliance on Russia threaten to complicate the response.
As much as 40% of the continent's natural gas is supplied by Russia — prompting fears about what might happen if Moscow moves to cut off some or all of that supply.
U.S. officials have warned that Russia has nearly enough military power deployed along Ukraine's borders to stage a full-scale invasion of the country.
But even as world leaders crisscross the continent for diplomatic meetings and the U.S. and NATO move troops around Eastern Europe, the European energy piece is in the spotlight.
Read on to understand why.
