But getting Saudi Arabia and the UAE to agree to pump more crude would require them to break a more-than-five-year partnership with Russia that has forged strong ties beyond oil — an uncertain prospect as they increasingly look eastward for political allies.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson said Russia’s president Vladimir Putin knew when he launched his invasion of Ukraine that “the world would find it very hard to punish him” because he had “created an addiction” to Russian energy.

The previous government last year sent security questionnaires to three potential bidders – Westinghouse of the US, France’s EDF and South Korea’s KHNP – after state corporations from China and Russia were excluded on security grounds.

The Aurora project, which will be located 20 km south of Gotland and 30 km east of Öland, consist of up to 370 turbines with a maximum height of 370 meters.

In 2021, Russia was the largest natural gas-exporting country in the world, the second-largest crude oil and condensates-exporting country after Saudi Arabia, and the third-largest coal-exporting country behind Indonesia and Australia.

The European Commission said in a statement on Tuesday that the sanctions included "a far-reaching ban on new investment across the Russian energy sector".

Azerbaijan is willing to increase its gas supply to Europe via Turkey amid persisting concerns over natural gas supplies after Russia's invasion of Ukraine,

The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur or BNetzA) has published the results of the latest tenders for onshore wind with a bidding date set for 1 February 2022.

"Russia remains a reliable supplier, a world-class guarantor of energy security. We value this reputation, but are ready for a harsh confrontation in the energy sector, if the need arises,"

As it stands, Russia supplies some on average 1,600TWh of gas per year to Europe which represents 40% of Europe’s needs.

The company added that the milestone of achieving 100 million degrees Celsius plasma has been verified by an independent advisory board consisting of international experts.

Switzerland currently has four nuclear reactors generating about 35% of its electricity.

But events in Europe may cause a rethink about natural gas, both as a transition fuel in the United States and a foreign policy tool.

The proposed measures are fully consistent with the EU's European Green Deal and Fit for 55, and pave the way for further emissions reductions in the years to come, the IEA said.

Engie said it would comply with any European sanctions that could potentially affect Russian gas supplies to Europe, but warned of the major impact such a move would have on the market.