Russian roulette on the pipelines

The chilly front of the Cold War is being replaced with a heating battle, as demand for gas increases along with the price. Russian giant Gazprom appears to have the upper hand in this power struggle but eastern European countries have weapons of their own to keep fuel prices at the low levels they have become accustomed to. And security of supply is now a key issue for Ireland


For many of us, the conclusion of the Cold War marked the beginning of the end of one of the darkest times in European history. However, we still receive stark reminders of Russia’s geopolitical power — the most recent earlier this month, when Russian gas giant Gazprom threatened to cut off Ukraine’s gas supply over an unpaid bill.

And while it might seem like a strange turn up for the books that western capitalism’s former biggest enemy is now largely responsible for the ability of many of us Europeans to cook and heat our houses, Russia holds 17pc of the world’s gas reserves.

Irish Independent