Stranger Things Do Happen As Netflix Surprises Investors (Wednesday Market Open) The European Commission (EU) has asked its 27 member nations to reduce their natural gas consumption by 15% between August and March 2023. The announcement turned U.S. equity index futures from positive to negative. Potential Market Movers Russian energy giant Gazprom said it cannot fulfill gas contracts with the EU, which prompted a swift response from the commission. Russia appears to be striking back against EU sanctions by tightening gas exports. The commission said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “blackmailing” EU members and “using energy as a weapon.” It’s difficult to know how feasible the EU’s move will be as the group of nations are already experiencing energy shortages that have prompted the reopening of old coal plants and new construction on nuclear facilities. Additionally, Europe is experiencing a record heat wave which underscores the urgency of energy issues now and in a few months when the region could face a repeat of last year’s heating struggle.