Since fighting broke out in Ukraine nearly seven months ago, Russia and Europe have been waging an economic war over energy, one that could have dire consequences for millions of households and businesses across the continent.Last year, nearly 40 percent of the natural gas used to heat homes and power businesses throughout the European Union came from Russia, one of the continent’s largest and most important trading partners for energy.Now barely half that amount enters Europe, government statistics show, stoking fears of shortages this winter.As part of a wide-ranging effort to cripple Russia’s economy, which is largely propelled by the sale of fossil fuels, the European Union has imposed huge sanctions and has vowed to eventually stop buying Russian gas. The European Commission said on Wednesday that it would also ask countries to approve a broad cap on the price of Russia’s gas.But with Europe still dependent on Russia in the meantime, Moscow has retaliated by severely restricting the flow of energy to Europe, forcing governments to try to find alternatives.The State of the WarPresident Vladimir V. Putin of Russia “is usin …
