Member-only story
EU Families are Paying Dearly for Putin’s War in Ukraine— the Energy Catastrophe in Europe
One problem I have with the way some Ukrainian journalists have been complaining about the EU’s insistence to not get involved militarily is that they say that the EU has it easy in this war.
And, yes, comparatively, the EU has it very easy in comparison to the residents of Kherson, Luhansk, Mariupol, and countless other cities that have seen drastic shelling, killing, and torture, in Ukraine.
We should never make light of the suffering of the Ukrainian people. I know some of their suffering personally, as my family housed Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia, as well as many of my friends’ families; my heart is with Ukraine, needless to stress.
At the same time, we should not dismiss the suffering of the average person in the EU. If we do so, we alienate their much-needed support in these uncertain times. Let me explain.
EU countries have already prepared for the inevitable: an energy crunch and correlated recession. Their stockpiles are nearly full and a relatively warm November allowed for an easier transition. Indeed, thus far, EU states have consumed approximately 10% less gas so far in comparison with previous years.
