Why neither Russia nor Ukraine feels great about pipeline deal
Something important, perhaps even portentous, has shifted in the geopolitical axis between Moscow, Ukraine, and the West.
U.S. President Joe Biden and outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel inked a statement last month that appears to greenlight the long-disputed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will deliver Russian gas directly to Germany, bypassing a Soviet-era pipeline through Ukraine. Depending on whom you speak with in Kyiv, this is an unexpected American stab in Ukraine’s back, one that seriously undermines the troubled nation’s national security. Or it just might be a blessing in disguise that will help to liberate Ukraine from its long-term dependence on Russian gas and transit fees.
In Moscow too, the mood is not nearly as triumphant as might be expected. For both countries, this episode saw leaders of the United States
Money and politicsA loss of revenue?Shifting Russia-Ukraine relations
