NEWSWATCH Washington Post: Russia used to have a powerful weapon in its energy sector. Not anymore.

Gas Flame file photo

The Washington Post assesses shifts in Russia’s position within the energy sector, and the impact upon Russian coercive pressure on the West.

For years, Russia’s ability to choke off energy shipments any time tensions spiked with the West was a potent threat, one that could force much of Europe to shiver during the wintertime. But with energy prices swooning, the Kremlin’s pipeline politics are looking a lot less threatening.

Russian energy giant Gazprom, which has long been accused of working as the Kremlin’s bludgeon, has seen demand for its natural gas drop to the lowest level in its post-Soviet history. Nations that were once fully dependent on its gas now have other options. And the company must decide by next month whether to contest an antitrust case brought by the European Union that could force it to give up its hardball tactics in Europe for good.

click here for Washington Post: “Russia used to have a powerful weapon in its energy sector. Not anymore.”

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