

It did not just happen. The last winter happened to be cold and most gas is used for heating. So more LNG was needed to fill up storage. Some of that came from Russia, but most from the US.
The good news is that the 19th sanctions package includes an LNG ban. So this is going to end in a bit over a year.











Not even that. Sanctions cost Russia a lot. So ending the war would give Putin a lot more money. He might even get away with some land from Ukraine.
The real problem is that ending the war in something, which might look like a defeat is a risk. The only ideological group in Russia allowed to operate somewhat freely are nazis. However they really like the war against Ukraine. So ending it is a risk.