Kazakhstan Can’t Fill The Void Left By EU Oil Embargo On Russia

On December 29, 2022, Kazakhstani state-owned oil and gas company KazMunaiGaz announced plans to export oil to Germany starting in January 2023. Arrangements were made to export a total of 1.2 million tons of oil through the Druzhba pipeline via Russia and Ukraine (Informburo.kz, December 29, 2022). Arriving shortly after the European Union’s announcement of a partial embargo and price cap on Russian oil, this news prompted discussions about whether Kazakhstan can play a larger role in the European energy market. Previously, Kazakhstani President…