Reuters: What is the best way for the U.S. to counter Russia’s natural gas threats?
After last week’s gas agreement between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union — which made clear Russia’s energy dominance over Europe — some have asked whether the U.S. could use its gas reserves as a “geopolitical weapon” to “stand up to Russian aggression,” as U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner said in a statement earlier this year.
But such proposals are not grounded in reality.
Moscow, of course, already uses gas as a weapon. It employs cutoffs and pricing controls to coerce Europe and Ukraine whenever their political and economic decisions are not aligned with Moscow’s strategic interests.
Important ideological — and practical — reasons prevent the United States from responding in kind.