Vladimir Putin’s Russia is showing that it remains a world power. There was the invasion of Georgia in August and now Russia is showing Europe its dependence on Russian fuel. According to the Washington Post, a dozen nations have reported a stoppage or slowdown in Russian natural gas. This comes in the dead of winter and during a dispute over Ukrainian pipelines.

Russia is attempting to force the Ukraine to pay higher rates for fuel. Russia has also demanded a renewal of its lease of Sevastopol and has distributed Russian passports to citizens of the Crimea. The Ukraine was outspoken in its support of Georgia in the August war, and Russia is attempting to force the Ukraine into line. For now, Eastern Europe is feeling it:

Smaller countries in Eastern Europe and the Balkans appeared hardest-hit. Croatia said it was reducing supplies to industrial customers, Hungary ordered power plants to begin burning other fuel if possible, and Slovakia’s gas distributor declared a state of emergency.

Bulgaria, which relies almost entirely on Russian gas, said it was in a “crisis situation,” with reserves that could disappear within days, factories shutting down, two cities left without gas, thousands of households without heat and the government preparing to restart a shuttered nuclear reactor.

Russia is also accusing the Ukraine of stealing up to 15% of all natural gas coming through its pipelines. While this is unlikely, it is still a very strong accusation. Russia may attempt to have the other nations of Eastern Europe grow so desperate for fuel that they pressure the Ukraine to give in to Russia’s demand. Russia appears to have a good position to throw its weight around.

Tags: Eastern Europe, natural gas, Russia, Ukraine

Posted by Matthew Avitabile at 9:18 pm
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