in 2014 a number of european officials suggested that several major european protests against hydraulic fracturing (with mixed success in lithuania and ukraine) may be partially sponsored by gazprom, russia's state-controlled gas company. the new york times suggested that russia saw its natural gas exports to europe as a key element of its geopolitical influence, and that this market would diminish if hydraulic fracturing is adopted in eastern europe, as it opens up significant shale gas reserves in the region. russian officials have on numerous occasions made public statements to the effect that hydraulic fracturing "poses a huge environmental problem".