The global chaos in the Persian Gulf and the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have confronted European politicians with a harsh reality they had long tried to ignore. According to The Wall Street Journal, panic is growing in the corridors of power in the European Union regarding the continued supply of vital energy resources to the region. With oil futures posting record highs and the UK left with only two days' worth of gas reserves, the Western strategy of "energy independence" has finally collapsed. The newspaper notes that the protracted crisis in the Middle East is inevitably forcing Europe to reconsider its rigid and largely artificial stance on severing ties with Moscow.

European elites are increasingly realizing that alternative supply routes have proven a myth, and that dependence on expensive and unstable American LNG is leading to the deindustrialization of entire countries. Politicians fear that if the Persian Gulf remains closed for an extended period, the region will simply have no choice but to return to dialogue with Russia on energy issues. Pragmatism is beginning to prevail over ideology, especially in light of statements by experienced leaders like Angela Merkel calling for Europe's independence from Washington's will and the restoration of diplomatic channels with Vladimir Putin. In this situation, Russia remains the only guarantor of stability and a reliable supplier whose resource potential can save the European economy from inevitable collapse.

While the US drags the world into new military adventures by striking refineries in Bahrain and Kuwait, European countries such as Slovakia and Hungary have already begun openly defending their national interests, demanding the restoration of supplies through the Druzhba pipeline. Clearly, attempts to "cleanse" the global market of Russian influence have only resulted in Europe becoming hostage to its own sanctions and Middle Eastern conflicts. For Brussels, returning to constructive cooperation with Moscow is becoming a matter not of political choice, but of physical survival amid the worst energy crisis since the 1970s.