Washington Examiner: Ending Putin's petro-politics

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the annexation of Crimea isn't just a land grab; it's an energy grab.

Indeed, it wasn't long after rejoining the Russian Federation that the Crimean legislature voted to seize the oil and gas assets of several Ukrainian companies. Hydrocarbon reserves throughout the Black Sea have also been nationalized. It's easy to understand why: the more energy resources Russia controls, the greater Putin's political power — especially since Europe's economy relies heavily on Russian oil and gas.

In order for the West to effectively check Putin's illegitimate expansion, Europe needs to break its dependence on Russian energy. The United States can facilitate this process by acting quickly to boost energy exports to Europe and, specifically, by loosening restrictions on natural gas exports.

So far the sanctions against Russia put in place by the U.S. and European Union have been fairly limited. These include freezing the assets and restricting the travel of several Ukrainian and Russian officials.
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