Moscow is attempting to unleash its leverage from space to global energy markets in a revamped effort to break Western solidarity and punish the United States and Europe for militarily supporting Ukraine during the more than five months since Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
The latest salvo saw Russian officials declare on Tuesday that their country will pull out of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024, ending decades of cooperation with the United States and its allies in space and putting the future of the facility in doubt.
The announcement came a day after Russian energy giant Gazprom said it will slash gas flows to Europe through the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline down to just 20% capacity — a move that sparked an immediate jump in European energy prices and added fresh urgency to Europe’s effort to reduce consumption and stockpile fuel.