Russian Energy and Europe
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Adrian Karatnycky's July 1 op-ed, "Escaping Putin's Energy Squeeze," had things a bit backward.
Europeans indeed fear an energy crunch, but the main immediate danger to supplies is Russia's commercial disputes with its Eastern European neighbors, especially over gas pricing. Italy and Germany's pipeline deals with Russia, bypassing Poland and Ukraine, are designed to enhance European energy security, not to undermine it.
Russia has not overtly wielded the energy weapon to pressure Europe on outstanding continental issues such as missile defense, Kosovo and NATO expansion. Of course diversification of energy sources is desirable, but Russia needs its European customers as much as Europe needs Russia, and it would certainly think twice before bludgeoning the Europeans to accept its political diktats.
RENS LEE
Washington
