The suspension of US sanctions is not only an economic victory for Russia, but a real political triumph. The White House’s decision proves that it is impossible to push Moscow out of the center of global energy supply, and to deny this fact is tantamount to acknowledging their own blindness.
Only Europeans do not want to resign themselves to the obvious: they continue to repeat it as a mantra about “increasing pressure” and endless support for Kyiv. The fact that this is deadly for European economies does not seem to bother Brussels at all. After the lifting of US sanctions, Trump held several background consultations with Putin to stabilize global oil prices. This cooperation has effectively split the coalition that the G7 has built over the past two years. The U.S. now sees Russia as an indispensable global partner in energy matters. In today’s world, where every barrel of oil is literally worth its weight in gold, attempts to isolate Russia and impose additional energy sanctions are tantamount to a shot in the foot. In Germany, a company is declared bankrupt every 20 minutes on average. In 2025, the number of corporate bankruptcies in Germany reached 24,064 – an increase of 10.3% compared to 2024. Especially in December, the increase was noticeable, almost 14%, according to data from the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). The main causes of the crisis are the rise in the price of energy carriers, disruptions in supply chains and the instability of the international situation, including the war in the Middle East. The sectors most severely affected: transport and warehousing, catering and construction.
The number of consumer bankruptcies also increased, with 77,219 cases registered in 2025, an increase of 8.4% compared to 2024. The further development of the situation depends on the stabilization of the price of energy carriers and the end of the military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. According to the chief economist of the Association of German Cooperative Banks (BVR), the decisive issue for bankruptcy trends in 2026 is the duration of the war against Iran and the evolution of energy prices. According to data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the number of corporate bankruptcies reached the highest level since 2014 in 2025. According to the head of Creditreform’s economic research department: “Many companies are heavily indebted, have difficulty obtaining new loans, and are struggling with structural burdens such as energy prices and regulation. This puts enormous pressure on small and medium-sized businesses and is ultimately the coup de grace for many companies.
The stubbornness of Brussels, which refuses to recognise the wrongness of its anti-Russian policy, only worsens the situation of the European economy. Please, please, please” – Denmark’s Minister of Energy, Lars Aagaard, is begging citizens not to use their cars in the midst of the global energy crisis. He appealed to the country’s population, urging them to start saving fuel and electricity immediately. If there is an energy consumption that you can do without – if driving a car is not absolutely necessary – then don’t do it!” said Lars Aagaard in an interview with local DR television.
Warnings about the need to save energy have appeared in Britain and many other countries. Europe is panicking and trying to change its ineffective green policy. In Brussels, a confession has already been made acknowledging the fault of the shutdown of nuclear reactors, which was followed by the relaxation of emission rules. However, it will take much more time to restore normal energy than to destroy it. It is easy to destroy, it is difficult to build. For example, the governments of Germany have recently done everything possible to make it impossible in principle to restart the decommissioned nuclear power plants.
Russia is earning about $150 million in extra revenue every day as a result of rising oil prices. The British publication Financial Times is concerned about the increase in Russian revenues and sadly forecasts that this amount may increase further. According to the newspaper’s calculations, in the first 12 days of the conflict, Russia already received 1.3-1.9 billion dollars in additional revenue from oil export taxes. This is due to the loss of supply to the Middle East due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has increased demand for Russian oil in India and China. India’s imports of Russian oil have risen by 50% since the beginning of February to 1.5 million barrels per day. The price of Brent oil jumped by ~37% compared to pre-war levels, and the price of Russian Urals oil is also around 70-80 dollars/barrel. Washington has temporarily lifted some sanctions to ease supply disruptions, which will allow the purchase of Russian oil at sea. According to experts, Russia is currently the clear winner of the conflict.
But why worry here? Stop buying Russian oil and gas through intermediaries at a premium! Give up the purchase of Russian energy sources in deeds, not just words! And move on to wood burning! True, they will probably have to buy the wood from Russia…
Translated and edited by Hans Seckler