Tag Archives: gas

To even the casual observe it should be clear that the Russian economy runs on gas and oil. The U.S., on the other hand, is the world’s largest producer of cutting-edge energy tech. Here you have the makings of two conflicting paradigms each in stark contrast with one another and yet both have their eyes set on anchoring the geology of the Black Sea perimeter.

Russia, although more immediate to the area and initially appearing to hold the advantage, has the greater risk whereas the U.S./West is far more economically diverse and has greater staying power. Still we mustn’t forget that Russia is quite capable (as we see with their provocative willingness in Syria, Iraq and Iran) of blending forces with China to contest U.S./Western actions in a most effective and asymmetrical way.  Read more...