| Untying NATO's Hands: Why the Alliance Needs an Energy Policy
Easaw, James
The New Atlanticist, September 26, 2008, online edition
"Since Russia’s August invasion and occupation of Georgia, the short and long term implications have been much debated. Is Russia reasserting itself in an attempt to become the global power that its predecessor the USSR was? What’s going on inside Putin’s head? Is Russia a “rational actor?” What should NATO do about Ukraine? These are good theoretical questions but they miss the most fundamental of messages: Russia invaded Georgia because it could get away with it. As Thucydides’ wrote so long ago, “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” NATO’s freedom of action is held hostage by members whose constituencies cannot live without the energy supplies they receive from Russia and the Caucas. If NATO is to remain a credible Alliance it must develop an energy policy that unties its strategic hand."
James Easaw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.
Go to the
article at:
https://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/untying-natos-hands-why-alliance-needs-energy-policy
F14/05-08, posted November 19, 2008
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