Germany

Russia

Energy

Germany has dropped its opposition to a Russian oil embargo as long as it has enough time to wind down imports and find alternatives, The Wall Street Journal reported April 28.

Germany: Government No Longer Opposes Russian Oil Embargo

The Politics of Pipelines

Slovakia

Slovak deputy economy minister Karol Galek said Slovakia has not activated accounts at Gazprombank that Russia set up to enable Slovakia to pay for Russian natural gas using rubles, Bloomberg reported April 29.

Slovakia: Government Has Not Activated Gazprombank Accounts for Natural Gas

Europe

France

Hungary

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The European Union is drafting a ban on Russian oil imports that could be proposed after the April 24 second round of France's presidential election, The New York Times reported April 14, citing EU officials.

EU: Phased Russian Oil Ban Proposal Possible After French Presidential Election

The Ukraine Conflict

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree ordering companies from countries on Russia's ''unfriendly'' list to start paying for natural gas shipments using rubles starting April 1, and he added that Russia would cut off gas to companies that do not pay using the Russian currency, Bloomberg reported March 31.

Russia: Putin Unveils Proposed Mechanism for Natural Gas Payments in Rubles

EU antitrust regulators raided Russian energy giant Gazprom's offices in Germany, though it is still unclear what the regulators were searching for, Reuters reported March 30.

Europe: EU Antitrust Regulators Raid Gazprom Offices in Germany

Spain

Algeria

Morocco

Politics

On March 19, Algeria recalled its ambassador to Spain in response to Madrid's March 18 decision to support Morocco’s plan to grant Western Sahara greater autonomy under Moroccan rule, Euronews reported March 20.

Spain, Morocco, Algeria: Madrid Supports Rabat's Proposal, Offends Algiers

Ukraine

Economics

Military & Security

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Instability in Central Asia

Germany is laying out a series of energy-related measures designed to reduce German reliance on Russian natural gas in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent German suspension of the certification process for Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would have delivered Russian natural gas to Germany, Reuters reported Feb. 27.

Germany: Government Looks to Reduce Reliance on Russian Natural Gas

Security

The Fate of the Eurozone

Qatar

The European Commission has halted its probe into long-term energy contracts signed with QatarEnergy, the Financial Times reported Feb. 13.

Qatar, EU: European Regulators Halt QatarEnergy Probe Amid Russia-Ukraine Tension

Pipelines are veins of geopolitical power. For nations that export oil products or natural gas, pipelines are essential to turning raw energy into profit. Russia’s attempts to control the flow of energy in Europe and Asia, for example, is as much a political strategy as it is an economic strategy. But in the politics of pipelines, new technologies and resources and more tightly integrated pipeline systems will give countries new tools to counter overbearing suppliers.

In the politics of pipelines, new technologies and resources and more tightly integrated pipeline systems will give countries new tools to counter overbearing suppliers.

Canada

United States

China

Turkmenistan

Afghanistan

Pakistan

_Energy

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

A Crude Recovery

China in Transition

South Asian Militancy

Assessments

Guidance

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discusses imposing new sanctions against Russia during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on May 4, 2022. 

The bloc’s proposed embargo will ripple across global markets and increase the likelihood of expansive U.S. sanctions that target Moscow's energy sales to non-Western countries.

 What to Watch for as the EU Sanctions Russian Oil

South Africa

United Kingdom

Egypt

People watch Chinese President Xi Jinping speak during the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo on Nov. 4, 2021, in Shanghai.

Britain After Brexit

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended Stratfor articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: China's Sixth Plenum, U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue

Old Leaders in a New Africa

A gas pipeline is seen on the North Crimean Canal in Kalanchak, Ukraine, on Sept. 29, 2020. 

While new Gazprom contracts and Nord Stream 2’s certification are likely, Moscow’s coercive tactics risk accelerating Gazprom's decline in Europe’s energy market.


Russia Exploits Europe’s Gas Crisis, Likely to Its Own Detriment 

The landfall facility for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is seen in Lubmin, Germany, on Sept. 7, 2020. 

The deal is unlikely to quell concerns about Russia using the pipeline to weaken Ukraine’s position as a transit state for natural gas. 

What the U.S.-Germany Deal on Nord Stream 2 Means for Ukraine

Snapshots

Following the poisoning of a Russian opposition leader, mounting pressure to take a tougher stance against Moscow may finally prompt Berlin to abandon the embattled pipeline project.

Nord Stream 2 Comes Under Fire in Germany

Denmark

A crane moves Nord Stream 2 pipes at a port near Sassnitz, Germany, on June 5, 2019. 

The removal of technical requirements for operating in Danish waters will enable Russia to complete the pipeline's construction, but a new round of proposed U.S. sanctions could still thwart progress.

Nord Stream 2 Overcomes One Hurdle Only to Be Met With Another

Belarus

Russia's Internal Struggle

Following Moscow's move to cut off its oil supply, Belarus has, for the first time, threatened to tamper with the transit of Russian oil exports to Europe.

Belarus Threatens to Siphon Russia's Europe-Bound Oil

Ukraine and Russia have extended their natural gas transit deal by five years, but both are looking for alternatives to each other.

Their new agreement notwithstanding, Moscow and Kyiv are ultimately set to go their separate ways on energy.

A New Gas Transit Deal Won't Keep Ukraine and Russia Together for Long

Russian President Vladimir Putin at his annual press conference on Dec. 19, 2019, in Moscow.

While sanctions will depress Russia's economic performance, they are unlikely to go to an extreme that causes its economic collapse.

Western Sanctions on Russia Will Remain Stable in 2020

Italy

Work continues on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running through the Baltic Sea that would add capacity for Russia to export natural gas directly to Europe.

If the two countries cannot reach an agreement before the current agreement expires Dec. 31, Russian gas deliveries to Europe via Ukraine could well experience interruptions.

Russia and Ukraine Seek a Contentious New Gas Transit Deal

Construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Russia. 

The White House warned it's considering potentially detrimental sanctions against the German-Russian pipeline. But the threats are still likely more bark than bite.  

Despite Looming U.S. Sanctions, the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Will Likely Proceed

Poland

A construction site for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Germany.

There are signs Washington might be inching toward action against the ambitious German-Russian pipeline, though such a move risks irking EU powers.

The Politics of Pipelines

SITUATION REPORTS

Germany: Government No Longer Opposes Russian Oil Embargo

Slovakia: Government Has Not Activated Gazprombank Accounts for Natural Gas

EU: Phased Russian Oil Ban Proposal Possible After French Presidential Election

Russia: Putin Unveils Proposed Mechanism for Natural Gas Payments in Rubles

Europe: EU Antitrust Regulators Raid Gazprom Offices in Germany

Spain, Morocco, Algeria: Madrid Supports Rabat's Proposal, Offends Algiers

Germany: Government Looks to Reduce Reliance on Russian Natural Gas

Qatar, EU: European Regulators Halt QatarEnergy Probe Amid Russia-Ukraine Tension

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