KREMLIN PUSHING NEW PIPELINE PROJECTS The disruption of gas flows to Europe has highlighted the fragility of transit routes -- playing into the Kremlin's hands as it tries to persuade Europe to back alternative pipelines. Russia has been struggling to win European approval for the Nord Stream pipeline, which will ship gas under the Baltic Sea to Germany, bypassing potential troublesome transit states. Nord Stream, a joint venture between Gazprom, Germany's BASF and E.ON and Dutch firm Gasunie, has encountered resistance, on political and environmental grounds, from several European Union states. Moscow is also pushing the South Stream pipeline, which will ship Russian gas under the Black Sea and direct to the EU. Russia is seeking to sign up more European states to the project. In that context, the gas row with Ukraine is "all opportune, from the Russian side," said a European diplomat in Moscow. "Russia might find an interest in promoting Nord Stream and it will be clear to many Europeans there should be an alternative route." Asked if the dispute would bolster the Nordstream and South Stream projects, Julian Lee of the Centre for Global Energy Studies said: "That's certainly what Gazprom is hoping for."
The disruption of gas flows to Europe has highlighted the fragility of transit routes -- playing into the Kremlin's hands as it tries to persuade Europe to back alternative pipelines.
Russia has been struggling to win European approval for the Nord Stream pipeline, which will ship gas under the Baltic Sea to Germany, bypassing potential troublesome transit states.
Nord Stream, a joint venture between Gazprom, Germany's BASF
and E.ON and Dutch firm Gasunie, has encountered resistance, on political and environmental grounds, from several European Union states.
Moscow is also pushing the South Stream pipeline, which will ship Russian gas under the Black Sea and direct to the EU. Russia is seeking to sign up more European states to the project.
In that context, the gas row with Ukraine is "all opportune, from the Russian side," said a European diplomat in Moscow.
"Russia might find an interest in promoting Nord Stream and it will be clear to many Europeans there should be an alternative route."
Asked if the dispute would bolster the Nordstream and South Stream projects, Julian Lee of the Centre for Global Energy Studies said: "That's certainly what Gazprom is hoping for."
Also mentioned as potential Rusian endgames are:
Don't have time for cites and blockquotes, but the media reporting that Putin cut off supplies to Europe seem to be false. As in the early days of the Georgia conflict.
Even Barrosso said something like "if both parties are doing what they say, then we don't have a problem here." He said that after speaking today with both Prime Ministers.
This is the playing field of some of the most powerful interests in the world game. Remember that Timoshenko made her fortune in gas. I'd give the above article some respect, though of course we don't know and can't analyze what's really happening. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
