The Graphic Truth: European reliance on Russian gas

Russia’s increasingly aggressive stance against Ukraine has again highlighted Europe’s reliance on Russian gas imports. But recent events have also revealed how much Russia’s economy depends on its European consumers. While a lot of Russian natural gas used to traverse Ukrainian territory on its way to the EU, the Center for Strategic and International Studies says that level was slashed by 70% between 1998 and 2021 as Moscow sought to increase its leverage over Kyiv. We take a look at some major pipeline import routes from Russia to the EU from 2015-2021.