... of my failed attempts at an interview, it was impossible to discuss energy trade as the interviewee simply outright denied any political ridges - clearly from a standpoint of it being their vested interest. I can appreciate some sensitive issues in energy affairs, but outright denial of political aspects and pure support for economic caveats is absurd. As we all know, Nabucco or Nord Stream are political projects to an extent, but they are also economic as else they just cannot be build at a huge loss. Moreover, I had to ferociously deny the realism of energy weaponry for the latter's case throughout my thesis, as some ...
... system. More specifically, Moscow lacks a clear strategic direction, as the ruling regime is increasingly divided between an official commitment to economic modernisation, on the one hand, and authoritarian consolidation, on the other hand.
Energy Calamity
It is argued by some that the Russo-European relationship has soured creating an anti-Russian stance. Has this occurred due to European attempts to lower gas import prices, or more serious underlining issues? Europe’s potential ...
... at almost any price. So it will be vital to reach equilibrium as for instance Europe has hit the other polarity by having too much legislation, as populated areas need around 700 local, regional and central government patents to erect 500km of pipes (Nord Stream). With transparency, NIMBY (not in my back yard) challenge can be also addressed, as stakeholders will be less likely to oppose the presence of the energy industry and fragmentation challenge could be avoided or renegotiated.
Tatyana Mitrova provides a great summary, in her Skolkovo presentation, outlining the overall mood of the event - as the slide below illustrates:
Don't Despare ...
