Russia hooked on Turkish transit route

These supplies primarily serve Russia’s closest European allies — Hungary and Serbia — with an annual volume of about 15 billion cubic meters.

This means Russia is now fully dependent on Turkey for gas transit, at a time when Ankara has pushed Moscow out of Syria and is gradually sidelining it in the Caucasus and Central Asia.

In other words, Turkey isn’t a strategic partner for Russia but a fierce competitor in regions critical to the Kremlin. And by halting transit, Ukraine has handed Turkey a powerful new lever to weaken Moscow further.

Now, Turkey gets to "spin" Moscow on the gas pipeline as it pleases, flipping the script on how the Kremlin used to "spin" European politicians by increasing energy dependence.

Another angle, less obvious but significant, is how the transit halt has dented the image of Russia’s leader in front of his inner circle. Through his beloved "pipeline," he’s been publicly undermined — something that, by their own unwritten macho rules and logic, could have serious consequences for his authority.

Source

About the author. Volodymyr Omelchenko, Director of Energy Programs at the Razumkov Center.

The editorial staff does not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.