New Cold War: U.S, Russia fight over Europe’s energy future

The United States and Russia are once more locked in what could be a generation-defining conflict, but this time it’s about heat and electricity for tens of millions of Europeans. As the Obama administration escalates economic sanctions on Russia and weighs military support to Ukraine, it also has revved up a less noticed but far broader campaign to wean Central and Eastern Europe off a deep reliance on Russian energy.

It’s a chess match.

Amos Hochstein, the State Department’s special envoy for international energy affairs

Washington is pushing American companies’ bids for nuclear plants and fracking exploration in Europe, which depends on Russia for more than 70 percent of its energy needs. Although the U.S. has pressed its European partners for decades to find new oil, gas, coal and nuclear sources, the crisis in Ukraine has upped the ante. However, many large European countries have found it easier to make private energy deals with President Vladimir Putin’s government, which could hamper America’s diversification efforts across the continent.

The strategy aims to create competition…It’s about ensuring energy can’t be used as a weapon.

Victoria Nuland, America’s top diplomat for Europe, and energy envoy Hochstein

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