Breaking the “Natural Law” of Gas Deliveries. The Mechanism of the Reverse Flows in Ukraine and Europe
With regard to Russia’s energy pipelines, there has long been a view that gas must flow from east to west. Of course, barring human intervention, gas—like water—merely follows the path of least resistance, whether for natural (or political, in the case of energy markets), reasons. As its European importers continue to find other alternatives, Russia has sought to intervene to ensure the continued observance of its “natural law” that gas will always flow from east to west. Yet thanks to the efforts of Ukraine, a country faced with a particularly difficult energy transit relationship with Russia, west-east flows are now a reality, with EU member states Germany, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia exporting gas in the reverse direction.
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