Business Insider: Europe Went After a 'Pipe Dream' to Counter Russia — and It's Working

Europe has taken another swing at Russian gas dominance.

The European Union has been buttering up Turkmenistan, which has the fourth-largest known gas reserves, and Azerbaijan over the past year with the aim of shifting away from Russian gas.

And the efforts seem to have paid off.

"Europe expects supplies of Turkmen gas to begin by 2019," Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission vice president, told Reuters in May.

"We have good mutual understanding," he added. "For Turkmenistan it is very important to diversify its export options, while for the EU it is very important to diversify its imports."

Notably, The Diplomat points out, "This is the first time the EU has put a date on what has traditionally been regarded as a pipe dream."

Read the full article HERE.