MenuWars often change the course of history – that’s a cliché. But it is also a truth. Before the war in Ukraine, the European Union was resolute in its green evangelism. Now the 27-member bloc is waking up to a harsh reality. The strategy of relying on Russian energy to avoid Middle Eastern quagmires and
Monthly Archives: March 2023
Cryptocurrencies & Blockchain Make Inroads Into Energy Markets, For Good And For Bad
In June, the FBI warned the public of a LinkedIn scam where users were lured into making significant investments in fraudulent cryptocurrencies. After trust was established, victims were convinced to move investments to controlled sites before they had their accounts drained. This cyber scam was only notable for how stolen cash was subsequently used: purchasing sanctioned oil.
Biden’s Saudi Adventure: An Oil Strategy Failure And Beyond
Since the historic meeting between President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Saudi Arabia’s founder King Abdulaziz aboard the USS Quincy in 1945, America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia has always been transactional: oil for security. Over the past fifteen years, ever since the election of President Barack Obama in 2008, the perceived failure of both sides to honor their
Winter Is Coming. Energy Solutions Are Not.
A grim outlook was presented to European leaders and energy executives by the International Energy Agency (IEA) at its annual energy efficiency conference in Copenhagen on June 8th. Europe is unprepared for the coming winter. Governments across Europe have the difficult task of both finding the required energy for winter and relieving consumers of the burden posed
European Energy Crisis Spurs Maritime Fueling Innovation
On Tuesday, average oil prices fell below $100 per barrel for the first time since April. Lockdowns in China, rising inflation rates, and troubling signs of a recession weigh heavily on oil markets causing the price decline. Against the backdrop of the Russian war in Ukraine, disruptions in oil and gas distribution exacerbated by sanctions and measures to choke supply by OPEC+ have
To Cap Or Not To Cap: G7’S Overambitious Plan To Punish Russian Oil And Alter The Future Of Oil Markets
On June 28th, leaders of the G7 announced that they agreed to explore the possibility of imposing a price cap on Russian oil to reduce Moscow’s energy revenues. While many view this as political exigency or a futile return to price controls, the truth is far more complex — with reverberations beyond the war in Ukraine or
China’s Energy Vulnerabilities Drive Xi’s Policies
The long-anticipated 20th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, widely seen as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s stage-managed coronation for a third term, began with Xi delivering a two-hour speech focusing on security, further global outreach, and staying the course domestically. None of this surprises China analysts, who predicted these trends far in advance. China’s domestic policy
Needed: Bipartisan support for America’s global leadership
A minority of Congressional Republicans are turning the U.S. response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine into a partisan issue. While demanding a thorough accounting of where U.S. dollars are going in the war effort certainly makes sense, flatly opposing aid to Ukraine is divisive and damaging to U.S. global interests, as U.S. allies are increasingly
The Global Take | Kazakhstan’s Reform Agenda – Upcoming Parliamentary Elections
Dr. Ariel Cohen, participates as a panelist for the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center event “How can Kazakhstan’s political reforms create real change?”. He discusses the January 2022 riots which triggered the need for reform and how the West can capitalize on this opportunity to increase engagement with Kazakhstan and the larger Central Asia region. Watch