Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has argued that Europe has suffered major economic losses as a result of abandoning its longstanding energy partnership with Russia, making it the second-biggest loser after Kiev in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In an interview with the Swiss publication Weltwoche, Schroeder agreed with interviewer Roger Köppel’s assessment that Europe had suffered particularly severe consequences because of its previous dependence on energy cooperation with Moscow.

The former German leader said that ending an energy relationship that had functioned successfully for more than 50 years had undermined prosperity across Europe, not just in Germany.

Schroeder attributed the economic damage to the breakdown of energy ties that had supported European economies for decades.

Following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict and the introduction of Western sanctions against Russia, the European Union sharply reduced imports of Russian energy supplies delivered through pipelines.

At the same time, European countries increased their dependence on liquefied natural gas imports from the United States.

The EU has also adopted plans to gradually eliminate its remaining imports of Russian energy resources, moving toward a complete phaseout.

Russian officials have repeatedly criticized the European Union’s decision to abandon Russian oil and gas, arguing that the policy has driven up energy costs and weakened the competitiveness of European industries.

Moscow maintains that European countries themselves are bearing the greatest economic burden of the restrictions on Russian energy supplies.