Is there any 'international' space available to the Germans between the Polish and Swedish economic zones of the Baltic?
In my opinion, the best approach for Poland would be to promote a pipeline to Poland and E Europe that would bypass Russia, like the one proposed to carry Caspian oil from Azerbajan to Turkey through Balkans to Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland. Another proposed route was from Azerbajan to Georgia through the Black Sea to Ukraine and Poland.
In a long term, E. Europe and Russia need to disentangle from too much energy dependence on each other. Poland and Ukraine heavy dependence on Russian Gas and oil and Russia's dependence on Ukraine and Poland on transit of its oil and gas to W. Europe coupled with historical grievances of Poland and Ukraine against Russia only aggravates relations. I want to see Russia, Ukraine and Poland enjoying friendly relations. I think Putin is largely responsible for aggravating Russo-Polish and Russo-Ukrainian relations by his policies of crude interference in Ukrainian elections and other irresponsible policies driven by nostalgia of the Soviet Past. However, Poland and Ukraine should fight for their interest in more constructive manner too--at least that's what I think.
When energy disentanglement happens, everybody will eventually come out as a winner.
Sweet :-))
Russia is not a member of WTO. The "free trade" is not the supreme law of the universe. And if it will be, it will be for a short time only as it is written:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
(Mt:24:21-22)
The Baku Ceyhan pipeline was built using a route chosen for openly political reasons. There is nothing wrong with that. The 'Stans are developing a pipeline network that uses both Russian lines and lines that bypass Russia. Having competitive routes to market actually has the effect of removing politics from the equation.
India is struggling with a pipeline that may go through Pakistan, or may go offshore avoiding Pakistan. Politics plays very strongly in the final route of this pipeline.
That is only natural.
Ukraine has offered to make its soil available for pipelines west, and its selling point is that the pipeline would avoid Russia. Since politics in the region is still fairly volatile, neither side is wrong in wanting to avoid being blackmailed by a potential antagonist. The secret to energy independence, though, is multiple sources, multiple routes, competing pipelines.
Legal analyses have revealed that the document violates certain free trade principles. ==
What principles are violated? You cann't cut out middlemen?:)