According to Vortexa, a European ban on Russian crude risks Moscow utilising natural gas as a "power instrument" in its arsenal

Despite its reliance on Russian oil, Europe is under pressure to prohibit imports, but doing so would raise the very real possibility of Moscow retaliating with a halt in natural gas exports, perhaps plunging the entire area into recession, according to energy market intelligence firm Vortexa.

Russia supplies the European Union with 30% of its crude oil. According to Vortexa's chief economist David Wech, a prohibition would be pa....