Winter is on the way, and in war-torn Ukraine the fight against Russia appears far from over.
Moscow continues to target Ukrainian power plants and stations. Grain shipments out of Ukraine have been interrupted since Russia paused participation in a United Nations-brokered agreement that allowed a corridor in the Black Sea for cargo ships to transit. And there’s the prospect of a tactical nuclear weapon attack or even a meltdown at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“We’re seeing this is becoming a real security issue with the Russians using food as a weapon of war turning off and turning on grain supplies as a way to try to coerce and manipulate the West,” said Matthew Kroenig, acting director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.
Europe is also planning for a long-term change in energy policy, with most countries changing from relying on Russian energy exports.
“We are already experiencing a very strong decoupling between Europe and Russia on energy,” said Simone Tagliapietra, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels-based think tank.
