Russia Win

Russia has been for a while now the biggest natural gas supplier to Europe. With two new pipelines which largely avoid going through Eastern European states, especially the Ukraine, Russia is looking to decrease transit costs, increase flows to Europe, and limit the power of Eastern European States to use pipelines as a bargaining chip. This from an industry article on the issue:

"But the Obama administration has damped the anti-Russian rhetoric. Where U.S. diplomats once railed against the power of OAO Gazprom, the Kremlin-controlled gas company, and accused Russia of using its natural resources as a political weapon, they now emphasize engagement and dialogue.

"We don't want to have a highly politicized, 'us vs. them' discussion with the Russians," Richard Morningstar, the U.S. special envoy for Eurasian energy, said in an interview. "We want to engage with Russia constructively."

In other words, we just got taken. You cant "engage with Russia constructively" on issues like this. They are seeking to manipulate and gain power wherever they can. That is their objective. The understand the weakness of the EU states, and know that they can gain important leverage over them. Its just too bad that our current foreign policy seems to revolve around kissing up to all the wrong people.