RFERL: Interview: 'It's Easier To Beat Up A New EU Member State Than An Old One'
Russian gas monopoly Gazprom this week inked a landmark deal with Austria's OMV energy firm to build the country's section of the controversial South Stream natural-gas pipeline, which would pump gas from the Black Sea to Austria.
The move comes just weeks after another European Union member, Bulgaria, suspended work on the project following criticism from Brussels.
RFE/RL's Claire Bigg spoke to Edward Lucas, a senior editor responsible for energy issues at Britain's "The Economist," to get a sense of the significance of the Austria deal -- and why Vienna is pressing ahead while Sofia has stepped on the brakes.