Sh3Rm4n

Oh it does. And also it does matter because Russia started the war. The sanctions where the response.

So Russia was the face puncher while Europe the ball kicker to stay in your analogy.

But this is where we disagree. The EU sanctioned Russia which did exclude things like gas.

It is very much Russias fault that those prices are going up now as it stopped the delivery of gas.

But that is not to say that the EU could've known better.

This meme is pretty inaccurate IMO.

First I think most Russians who are speaking like this would like to (and probably are) stay(ing) in Russia.

Second the EU is blocking most russians to enter it. Which is bad, as those who flee Russia mostly are not in favor of the Russian government. And I worry that closing the borders for Russians just strengthens the anti-russian sentiment in EU countries, while Russians (the people, not the government) are not fault of the current situation.

Great. Finally a sane, almost friendly answer of yours. Very rare occasion.

Russia was perfectly fine trading with the west while fighting a war in Ukraine.

Yes of course, why wouldn't Russia be fine? But you also have to acknowledge that Russia prepared for that economic war well before the current conflict. And even though EU might have started the economic war, Russia started the decrease of delivery of gas to pressure the EU.

But of course it is mostly the EUs fault to so heavily rely on Russia gas in the first place. In hindsight the signals of the geopolitical shift Russia took where clear even before 2014 but the EU ignored them.

Okay. Let's test that. Who started the war?

Are you speaking of yourself?

Factually no.

Okay?

No.

Factually no.

The SWIFT ban was specifically designed to not block any gas, oil or coal related trades between Russia and Europe, so that these can continue as the EU was very much aware that this kind of sanctions results into no benefit for them.

Europe did not refuse to buy gas from Russia. Russia just stopped selling gas to Europe.