March 6th, 2009, Geneva. In an attempt to boost the diplomacy between the two nations, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov with a red button with the English word “reset” mis-translated into a Russian word meaning “overload”. The wrong translation proved to be a prediction for US – Russia relations for the years that followed. More
Nord Stream 2, perhaps the most controversial extant gas infrastructure project, not only has divided the European Union in supporters and opponents of the project but is also shaping the transatlantic relation while directly impacting the Eastern Neighborhood of the EU. Supported by a Germany that insists on the economic viability and capacity to improve EU’s energy security the project is maybe the most politicized project. Central and Eastern Europe led by Poland and the Baltic States have a limited timeframe until the project’s construction is finished to negotiate their strategic interests and, together with the rest of the European opponents of Nord Stream 2, to consolidate the EU’s energy priorities. The repeated gas crisis in the Ukraine and the recent events such as the Kerch Straight incident polarized the regional and international agenda to an even greater extent and highlighted the security dimension of the project. More
