Russia: Energy Pipelines are the Weapons of Choice
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Published on: May 26th 2007 21:51:16
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| US officials are pleased that, at their meeting on May 15th, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and President Vladimir Putin agreed to adopt less confrontational language in their exchanges. But they acknowledge that substantive problems remain. For example, Rice refused to reconsider US plans to locate anti ballistic missile installations in Poland and the Czech Republic; at the UN, tensions are building over Kosovo where Russia objects to a western-sponsored proposal for independence. More importantly, many US observers – both Republicans and Democrats – have concluded that Russia is pursuing objectives in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia that run directly counter to US interests. One National Security Council official commented: “We acknowledge that we should treat Russia with greater respect but we now see a disturbing rise in deliberate anti-Americanism.” Two examples illustrate the point: The first is the forthcoming parliamentary election in Ukraine where agencies such as the National Endowment for Democracy continue to offer large-scale financial support to pro-democracy organizations. Any Russian attempts to undermine democratic gains in Ukraine will produce a strong US response. Second, in Central Asia, a more strategic game is in progress. US officials were dismayed at the agreement signed on May 11th by the Presidents of Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and endorsed by Uzbekistan to modernize the Central Asia-Center pipeline system. This undermines the economic viability of a competing US pipeline project foreseen for a route under the Caspian See to Southern Europe. With Russia still promoting its ideas of a Central Asian security organization, US officials see the prospect of deepening tensions in that region. The White House has assigned responsibility for both these issues to Rice. |
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