Gas and russian supplies to the EU

As many of you may or may not know, Slovakia is a major transit hub of russian gas to many EU countries. It seems that Vladimir Putin is seeking to discover the limits of Gas diplomacy.

In all of this bullying behaviour one can see that it is increasingly a set of actions that fits with a russia that is stunned by the sudden decline of oil prices and therefore revenues. This has suddenly made its clout decline rapidly and created looming internal problems.

Slovakia's PM past friendly approach to Russia within the confines of overarching EU diplomatic policies seems prescient. It seems that we will be spared the revenge of Russia for pro-bush stances in basing missile bases in Czech republic and Poland.

I believe Fico's approach has been pragmatic and logical, small countries should not seek to take on former superpowers. In that miscalculation Poland are beginning to take care of US interests (albeit the powermad GW BUSH ones) in the region, for little in return.

This analysis below seems to back this up..


ANALYSTS have noted that
Russian gas supplies have played a
prominent role in Russian foreign
policy in the past, and the fact that
the Czech Republic and Poland
seem to have been singled out for
the most severe reductions in gas
supplies at the height of the winter
season is no coincidence, given
their support for the US plan to
station so-called Star Wars missile
batteries on their territories.
Until Tuesday, Slovakia had
appeared not to have been targeted
for the most severe reductions
in gas supplies, possibly as a
reward for not supporting the US
missile plan, which Russia says
is offensive and not defensive in
nature. Another factor in the gas
war is that the Czech Republic has
just assumed the presidency of the
European Union.
Given its right-wing pro-US
government and the fact that
until 20 years ago Czechoslovakia
was a docile member of the
Warsaw Pact, the Russian move
to cut supplies to New European
countries has great historical
resonance.
The most recent Russian-
Ukrainian spat over alleged nonpayment
of bills for gas supplies
has provided the Kremlin with a
wide range of opportunities to flex
its energy muscles in pursuit of a
much bigger political agenda.