” if certain customers grow tired of their hamhandedness, they stand to lose. “
The Europeans have no other place to go for energy. The US has proven to be such a horribly inconsistent ally that places like Iraq are looking for a better arms dealer. Every day they are closer to a black sea pipeline and a pipeline to China. Maybe they don’t need to care what the Western media thinks. It will be interesting to see what his next move is, assuming the media hasn’t found a new shiny object by then.
Not necessarily true.
Every day they are closer to a black sea pipeline and a pipeline to China.
The Black Sea pipeline is a pipe dream. They are barely closer today than they were 10 years ago.
We'll see how the China pipeline goes.