Natural gas is a trump card for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the crisis in Ukraine, and this 2009 kitschy video from Russian gas giant Gazprom could very well be the Kremlin anthem right now.
European countries are reluctant to sanction Russia for the invasion of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, partly because Gazprom supplies Europe with so much gas (map below).
“Europe gets 40% of its natural gas from Russia so any sanctions that it threatens will be hindered by its dependence on Russian natural resources," Seva Gunitsky, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, told the National Post.
Meanwhile, Russian troops continue to surround Ukrainian army posts on the strategic Black Sea peninsula, firing warning shots at one air base, while they urge the Ukrainians to pledge allegiance to Kremlin-backed authorities.
Here are some choice lyrics from the song:
Don't bother trying, you'll never ever find
A surer friend than Gazprom
...
Let's drink to you, let's drink to us,
Let's drink to all the Russian gas
That it never comes to an end,
Though it's so hard to obtain
Let's drink to you, let's drink to us
Let's drink to all the Russian gas
For those extracting the new sun
From down beneath the ground
...
We're renowned for our deeds
The world over
And all your troubles will recede
If Gazprom people are nearby
Here's a map of Europe showing how heavily EU countries rely on Russian gas imports:
SEE ALSO: This Is The Gas Pipeline Map That Shows Why The Crisis In Ukraine Affects All Of Europe