Turkmenistan provides natural gas to Russian pipelines to help keep Europe heated and illuminated.

Until the inauguration of the pipeline, nearly 70% of Turkmenistan's gas exports transited through Russian pipelines.

Russia also undermined the rival pipeline project Nabucco by buying the Turkmen gas and redirecting it into Russian pipelines.

The Central Asian gas passes through Russian pipelines.

While a few Russian pipelines are even longer, 2,500 miles is close to the maximum length for a pipeline before it becomes more costly than shipping liquefied natural gas instead.

It has been trying to close the gap by purchasing additional gas from Central Asian states that rely on Russian pipelines to export their oil and gas.

For example, NEL, which links the Russian pipeline to the German gas transport system, has not been granted an exemption.

Otherwise, we will be jointly responsible, at least indirectly, for gassing human rights and democratic values in Russia in exchange for gas from Russian pipelines.

If it is exploited locally, this asset will reduce the EU's dependency on Russian pipelines.

It is through some of these countries that alternative energy routes to Russian pipelines, such as Sarmatia and the Nabucco gas pipeline, may be built.