The cradle of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict will not be the Ukrainian pipeline system, but the Crimean Peninsula. Russian control over the Crimean Peninsula – beside the fact that it would solve the ethnic problem and the question of the fleet – would create a brand new situation regarding the oil and gas market, because the stakes are high: if Crimea falls under Russian authority, Russia will be able to greatly expand its borders in the Black Sea, among others, to the three enormous oil and gas field that can be found next to Crimea. The Ukrainian leadership knows well the importance of these territories, as beside the unconventional terrestrial utilization of natural gas, the Black Sea locations form one of the keystones of their energy strategy. So Kiev will fight for the Crimean Peninsula tooth and nail, not only because of its sovereignty, but because of its hydrocarbon treasures as well.
The Cradle of the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict
March 16, 2014 by
