Washington Post: Stopping Russia from cornering Europe’s energy market

President Obama’s meeting this month with the Group of Seven leaders focused on European energy policies in light of the crisis in Ukraine. As Western leaders seek the right response, they would do well to keep in mind that Europe’s dependence on Russian energy did not develop overnight. It was, instead, the result of meticulous planning and execution over decades. It cannot be countered without equally disciplined policies led by government institutions.

To reach its goal of energy dominance in Europe, Russia has left no stone unturned, and those who got in the way have sometimes paid a price. In 2009, when Turkmenistan entered into discussions with the European Union about building a pipeline to Europe across the Caspian Sea, a gas valve was closed on the Russian side of a shared pipeline. This caused an explosion that crippled Turkmenistan’s gas export infrastructure for some time.

Moscow has taken steps to block the entrance of Iran into European gas markets; in 2006, the Russian company Gazprom bought a pipeline from Iran to Armenia and limited its size to ensure that it could be not be used to carry Iranian gas into Europe.
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