In what analysts described as a "new escalation" of the energy war between Russia and the West, and a new phase of "finger biting" between the two sides, Moscow's decision to stop the flow of natural gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline was baffled indefinitely, the leaders of the old continent

While the West accused Russia of using energy as a weapon against European consumers, the Kremlin asserted that the shortage of energy supplies was caused by "sanctions against Russia, which prevent the maintenance of invasive infrastructure."

This has prompted Europeans to create "quick alternatives", such as a trend towards coal, greater reliance on renewable energy and the import of liquefied gas from other markets

The United States said it could supply 15 billion cubic meters of LNG to the European Union this year.

While Spain sought to revive a project to build a third gas line across the Pyrenees, France said that new LNG plants, which could be floating, would be a faster and cheaper option than a new pipeline.

"There have always been stages of tightening and attraction between Russia and Europe, and there have also been means of settling differences, but the intervention of the United States has reduced the imposition of solutions to the crisis."