As Southeast Asian governments scramble to respond to the unprecedented energy crisis , the EU is turning up the pressure to  keep them from buying Russian energy . Despite years of Western sanctions , Russia remains one of the top energy suppliers on the global stage. It is the world's second-biggest oil exporter, behind Saudi Arabia, and the second-biggest gas exporter, trailing only the US. Crucially, Russia's geography allows it to export its energy without passing through the Strait of