The Kremlin and the world energy war

[Dover]

The Kremlin and the world energy war
By W Joseph Stroupe

Russia's Gazprom, the world's largest gas-producing company, has become locked in a commercial battle with Ukraine over the price of the fuel, but it is widely and correctly understood that the Kremlin's hand is behind what is quickly being recognized as the final ascent to the summit of a struggle between "East" and "West" for global power, even for dominance, by virtue of control over strategic energy resources.

Why can it accurately be said that such a monumental struggle of global proportions is now heating up? What evidence exists to support the insinuation that the world order is polarizing again into two rival blocs, "East" and "West"? Are the Kremlin moves a blunder, or are they brilliant? What about the recent moves of the West in general, and the US in particular, in attempting to spread democratic revolutions within Russia's sphere of influence and in invading and occupying oil-rich Iraq?

Is the West blundering into strategic mishap, inadvertently increasing Russia's global energy importance and opening the door to an obligatory greater reliance on resource-rich Russia? What will be the outcome of ongoing developments?

cont'd

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HA10Ag01.html

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Europe to develop nuclear power to cut reliance on energy imports


BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union has a harsh New Year's resolution to keep after a gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine led to official exhortations for Europe to look for a wider range of suppliers and energy sources.

European governments must tighten their belts, concentrate more on renewable energy and reconsider nuclear power, EU officials said this week.

"As long as we spend more and more on energy, we will be getting more and more dependent," said EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

"We should be looking more at the energy sources we have in the European Union."

cont'd

http://www.thebigproject.co.uk/news/

[heidler1]

1. I remember predictions that if Europe became dependent on Russian

energy, Russia would price gouge sooner or later. To me the truth is that any country that produces more oil than it uses will price gouge even Saudi Arabia. We would do it too except we have no surplus oil, so tough shit. The European Union seems to have a plan. The U.S. plan is to burn up the last drop that we do have by drilling in ANWAR rather than excepting the truth and limiting the long term strangle hold these oil producing countries have on us by braking the oil dependent habit as much as possible. It will only get worse as China bids the last drop of oil price up.