South Stream Pipeline Seeks Route to Europe Without Ukraine
by Jason Ditz, June 08, 2014
After facing intense pressure at a meeting with US senators, Bulgaria has announced that it is halting work on the South Stream Pipeline, a key natural gas pipeline connecting Bulgaria to Russia along the Black Sea.
Whether the halt is temporary or not remains to be seen, but Bulgarian officials have complained they are being targeted by the US and the European Commission as a way of hurting Russia.The South Stream Pipeline is being built with Gazprom exports in mind, and an eye on giving the world’s largest natural gas producer an alternative route into Europe without having to go through Ukraine.
The plan is not brand new, but has taken on new importance with the ongoing Ukraine gas negotiations, and the possibility that Gazprom might have to cut off exports into Ukraine, and as a result struggle to ship into Europe.
Related
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!