This year has been challenging for Pakistan. After an unprecedented series of floods transformed one-third of its landmass into an inland sea, inflicting economic losses that approach the billions, the country is now met with an energy crisis of similar proportions. Pakistan is merely one of the many countries that are bearing the brunt of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which triggered energy shortages all across the globe. Our biggest energy imports come from Saudi Arabia and Qatar who have shifted their attention to European markets that are willing to pay far more to secure LNG for their own countries; leaving Pakistan with a crippling energy shortage that can only be helped with foreign intervention. In a bid to attract new investors, Pakistan has turned to Russia who has been supplying discounted crude to India and China even after Western sanctions on Moscow. China’s energy-hungry economy is currently the biggest importer of Russian oil and gas, and even India realizes the value of prioritizing its own energy needs. The US has already made it clear that it has no objections to the country importing Russian crude-with Washington’s approval, Pakistan has finally set the blueprint for a lifesaving energy deal with Russia that may help the country survive its brutal winter. But nothing is as good as it appears on paper and indeed, there is a long list of practicalities that need to be resolved before this deal can be of value. To start with, most blends of Russian oil cannot be processed by Pakistan’s refineries and even those that can be processed will likely prove to be too high maintenance for our machinery. Unlike China and India, Pakistan does not have any currency swap arrangements with Moscow meaning that it would be difficult to make payments for the oil given global restrictions on Russia. The additional freight costs of importing oil from Russia compared to UAE or Saudi Arabia, also offset any discounts the country might get. Pakistan is already knee-deep in debt; can the country really afford to cover all these additional costs every time it imports oil from Russia? Currently, the outlook on Pakistan’s Russia deal seems bleak at best but any partnership of this nature is fraught with challenges, and it will take a great deal of commitment on both sides before we see any results. *