The new Cold War Russia’s use of energy as a political weapon could prove disastrous

London Times ^ | 1/3/06 | staff

[spanalot]

The Russian cut-off of gas supplies to Ukraine may prove, in the long run, as catastrophic to the Kremlin as the oil boycott in 1973 eventually proved to the Arabs,,,. The political conclusion is almost as bleak. President Putin, having backed the wrong horse in Ukraine’s presidential election last year, is determined to avenge himself on the Orange Revolutionaries. The decision to quadruple the price paid for Russian gas is clearly political and intended to hurt,,,. That such a clumsy action should mark Russia’s assumption of the G8 presidency is a poor riposte to Western critics who maintain that President Putin is, in any case, unqualified to host — for the first time — the annual summit because of his poor democratic record.

[spanalot]

Putie just committed political suicide and unbelievably they have just admitted to an act of war by stealing Ukrainian gas purchased from Turkmenistan. http://news.ft.com/cms/s/dc62cb2c-7bc6-11da-ab8e-0000779e2340.html

"However, an executive at Rosukrenergo, a Swiss-registered company half-owned by Gazprom that delivers Turkmen gas to Ukraine, said he understood Gazprom had cut the Turkmen gas supplies to put extra pressure on Kiev."

[DoughtyOne]

I predicted that the oil and gas pipelines out of Russia would wind up as chess pieces. That wasn't particularly a tough call in the mid to late 1990s.

[starfish923]

The Ukraine just MIGHT have been siphoning off Germany/Poland-bound gas from the Russian pipeline running through the Ukraine.

Nah, Ukraine wouldn't do that! Putin's the bad guy, natcherly.

Besides, Putin didn't give the Ukraine enough warning that he was raising the price four times. He didn't let them "prepare" for the shock of paying the same amount as the Russians.

Shame on Putin, making the nice Ukrannians pay market price for Russian LNG.

Just who does he think he IS?

[spanalot]

And Reagan fought bitterly against this pipeline -

[spanalot]

PutieDeathSpiralPing

[DoughtyOne]

I thought it had been farther back than the mid to late 1990s, but couldn't remember. Putting a nation like Russia in the position of being able to cut off something as important as energy in the middle of the winter, was something I viewed to be suicidal.

I don't see trade with China much differently. It's the same basic principle.

[jb6]

Don't hold your socialist third way breath in the March Rada elections, your socialist pals will loose by a land slide, they already have.

[RightWhale]

Yep. Playing politics with petro is about the most likely thing to lead to full-out war that there is these days. Excepting some strange dude in Iran who seems to like his nuclear toys a little too much.

[spanalot]

http://news.ft.com/cms/24fd0a56-72fc-11da-8b42-0000779e2340.html

Vote for Yushchenko - Finanacial Times
Man of the Year with 64%

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

[jb6]

Interesting that the only ones pushing that are English publications when even formerly pro-Yushchenko Ukrainian mags are now against him....but you "know" best. By the way, how much do you make as an expat for Yushchi's election spin team? Better then what Clinton paid?

[GSlob]

Buy the same logic, the Ukrainians could charge Gazprom whatever they could think up as the gas transit fees. Since any alternative outlets are several years away [Baltic bypass pipeline or pipelines to China or Pacific], in the short term Putin has no choice but to settle, and would do better by doing it without an idiotic and damaging scandal. In the longer term, though, the Poles, the Ukrainians, the Hungarians and the Balts need crash coal gasification program, like South Africa did. Technology is there, and they have both coal and about 4 years to build the infrastructure.

[jb6]

As far as Spany is conserned, only dead Russians are worth anything and their resources belong to the "world" for free....they don't deserve to make a profit and should be forced to continue soviet era handouts.....for the betterment of others. Then after cheerleading and practicing leftest journalistic tactics, Spany claims he's a conservative.

[jb6]

Buy the same logic, the Ukrainians could charge Gazprom whatever they could think up as the gas transit fees.

Absolutely, of course that price gets passed on to the consumer, as is always the case in various supply chains in capitalist markets. That might also be the reason that the Germans and French and now the British (also the Estonians have signalled they'll probably get in to) are putting so much money into the Baltic pipeline UNDER CONSTRUCTION and to be done in 2 years.

[jb6]

ping

[SevenofNine]

DAMN VLAD IS A DIVA

[kublia khan]

Putin continues to attempt to resurrect the USSR by whatever means possible.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

The Ukrainians didn't want to pay extortion, so Pootie decides to play Godfather and make the rest of the EU suffer as a result? Not a smart move, Vlad.

[GarySpFc]

You are without a doubt the biggest liar on Free Republic. The Russians have not stolen Ukraine's gas. Indeed, it is the Ukraine which has been stealing Russian gas by siphoning it off for years, and reselling it at market prices to the EU. You might not realize it, but lying is a departure from reality, and a serious psychological problem.

[spanalot]

"You are without a doubt the biggest liar on Free Republic."

If that means I am in constant disagreement with you, I am at a loss for words and there is no thanking you sufficiently given the limits of time and space..

Like I said gary, Putie is stealing Ukraines gas as we speak.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/dc62cb2c-7bc6-11da-ab8e-0000779e2340.html

"However, an executive at Rosukrenergo, a Swiss-registered company half-owned by Gazprom that delivers Turkmen gas to Ukraine, said he understood Gazprom had cut the Turkmen gas supplies to put extra pressure on Kiev."

PS - Next time you talk with Putie, find out what he did with all the money his momma gave him for diplomacy school.

[GarySpFc]

You are full of insults and lies, which clearly shows me your psychological profile.