The Nightmare Scenario: A U.S.-China War
Our great and powerful editor has requested—nay, demanded!—a series of posts exploring how a U.S.-China war might unfold. That sounds like a request for prophecy. But making predictions is a dicey business, as the equally great and powerful sage Yogi Berra reportedly observed—especially when they’re about the future. The Naval Diplomat is no clairvoyant. Undeterred, we nonetheless commence a five-post cycle exploring some of the big ideas likely to shape each phase of a Far Eastern maelstrom. READ MORE
Nord Stream - supply without demand
The controversial Nord Stream pipeline provides Russian gas directly to Germany, bypassing Poland and Ukraine. But despite the opening of a new second line, it is running far below capacity. READ MORE
Kazakhstan, Russia to develop new agreement on good neighborhood and strategic partnership in 2013
Kazakhstan and Russia will develop new agreement on good neighborhood and strategic partnership in 2013. Such decision was taken at a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in Moscow on Tuesday, Kazakh presidential press-service reported. READ MORE
Lithuania’s Energy Security Center gets approval from NATO Military Committee
NATO Military Committee endorsed the decision to transform the Energy Security Center in Lithuania into a NATO centre of excellence, President Dalia Grybauskaitė’s adviser informs. READ MORE
A Nuclear South Korea?
South Korean officials have recently realized that the United States is likely to try to forbid them from enriching uranium and expanding their country’s missile range, rather than leave these issues on the diplomatic back burner. Indeed, recent discreet talks, in which the US has disregarded South Korean efforts to supplement the controversial US-South Korea Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, which expires in March 2014, suggest that there are reasons to be deeply worried about the alliance’s future. READ MORE
Ukraine to Keep Cutting Russian Gas Import in 2013
Ukraine haas indicated that a cut in Russian natural gas purchases will be deeper next year than expected thus far, to 24.5 billion cubic meters (bcm). This means that Ukrainian gas imports from Russia will be below contractual volumes for the third year in a row, for which Ukraine may be punished according to the take-or-pay clause in the 2009 contract between Gazprom and the national oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrainy. Ukraine cuts gas imports saying that it cannot afford to pay the prices set by Russia, but Moscow insists that Kyiv can expect price cuts only if it joins the Russian-led customs union. READ MORE
EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger: Gas Prices Must Be The Same In All EU Countries
President Dalia Grybauskaitė and EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger discussed the progress made by Lithuania and all Baltic countries in integrating themselves into the EU's energy system and the creation of regional gas and electricity markets during their meeting in Vilnius on Friday. READ MORE
Strategic and Tactical Decisions
The Problem of Development of Shtokman Field has Many Components. READ MORE
Russia Bolsters Influence In Kyrgyzstan As US Nears Airbase Exit
Vladimir Putin is getting most of what he wants out Kyrgyzstan, including a lease extension on a Russian airbase and part ownership of a torpedo plant, while America's star there is on the wane. READ MORE
Will Iran become part of Azerbaijan?
Unification of South and North Azerbaijan is an irreversible process that should not be forced. Residents on both sides of the border (the Azerbaijan Republic and the northern province of Iran) understand and want it, but none of them wants this process was accompanied by war, which would inevitably lead to a large death toll. This is the opinion of the Azerbaijani political scientist Fikret Sadikhov, who has commented information about the possible accession of South Azerbaijan into the Republic of Azerbaijan. And this issue arose on the background of broad discussion of a possible military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. READ MORE
