Russia is choking off Europe's natural gas supply in a bid to hit back against western sanctions. It cut the capacity of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany to just 20% last month, contributing to the continent's energy crisis. Key gas benchmarks have soared since the start of June, with TTF Dutch natural gas futures surging 129% to 194 euros ($198) per-megawatt-hour. "European gas prices are soaring again, approaching record highs, as a result of Nord Stream 1 flows falling to just 20% of capacity due to ongoing maintenance," Rystad energy analyst Karolina Siemieniuk said in a recent research note. "If ... (full story)