“Considering the current climate, the least they can do is diversify their sources of energy or even consider making deals with American companies.”
Well, we’re certainly not going to be piping natural gas over to them. What do you want them to do? Switch back to coal?
Hi Boogieman,
I doubt Trump is suggesting that Europeans to “switch back to coal.” There are other options to this pipeline and it’s not just Americans who are weary of it, but other surrounding countries.
From America’s vantage though: so long as we pay for their defense, and remain among their most reliable economic partners - countries such as Germany should expect a challenge to our trade status quo with them. We are their allies and benefactors in more ways than one. Yet they readily bypass us to instead commit themselves to gas that is so geopolitically charged — from a traditional adversary many of their European neighbors don’t trust, yet will be forced to put up with given the leverage such a pipeline would amass.
It also decreases our hand when we do want to negotiate with Russia in the near and far term. They won’t have any concessions to give because they’re firmly in the EU corner with regard to energy.
From Drudge today: “Spotlight falls on Russian threat to undersea cables”
http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/392577-spotlight-falls-on-russian-threat-to-undersea-cables