BRAKING! President Putin says as the crisis in Ukraine grinds along, EUROPE can't stop buying Russian gas! coz winter is coming!

As the crisis in Ukraine continues to grind along and casualties continue to mount, despite the existence of a ceasefire, Russia holds a trump card.

Winter is coming and Europe will have little option but to turn to Putin for its gas purchases.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he did not expect European countries to stop buying natural gas from Russia as there is no real alternative.

"Can you imagine that this will happen at the desire of our partners in Europe? I can hardly imagine this," Putin said in a response to a question during a meeting with Russian and foreign political experts.

Russia provides one third of the natural gas that European countries rely upon to heat their homes and drive industry. Any disruption in natural gas flows could be a potential knock against Europe's economy.

However, a long term shut off of gas would likely be unthinkable. Just as Putin can not imagine a future in which Europe could live without Russia's gas exports, so too is it difficult to imagine Russia surviving without Europe's market. Russia is simply too reliant upon energy exports to completely shut off gas to Europe for a long haul.

[link to www.businessinsider.com (secure)]

this is braking news from october 2014! Europe had eight years to stop sending a billion euros a day to Russia and they did NOTHING! they just kept buying that gas oil and coal from RUssia for EIGHT YEARS!!!!!