John Mearsheimer wrote in 1990, that he was certain that we were “likely soon to regret the passing of the Cold War.” While I person ally did not live through the Cold War — nor do I wish I had, especially given the eternal fear of nuclear winter — there is something to be said for the chilling relations between Russia and the Western world. The idea that Russia is our biggest geopolitical foe is an exaggeration at best, but growing tensions between Russia and Europe can only help the nascent American natural gas industry, as well as strengthen ties between the United States and our European allies.
The natural gas industry in the U.S. has been making a fierce comeback as of late, especially thanks to the high demand brought about by the polar vortex on the East coast. However, to assume that this trend will continue, especially if prices continue to rise, is unlikely, said Miranda Davis in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. She fears that if the high prices for natural gas continue, energy companies will switch to the cheaper alternative — coal. Exporting gas to Europe can offer potential business growth. As Russian-planned actions and motivations in Ukraine, especially the eastern part of the nation, remain unclear, questions have been raised about the security of Europe’s energy supply, which has relied on a large amount of Russian natural gas in the past. However, Bernstein Research recently released a note stating that the Ukrainian gas network is of far less importance than it has been in the past, thanks to expanded and better developed infrastructure.
Even ignoring the energy side of the Ukrainian conflict, that issue has led to stronger ties between NATO members, with many Eastern European member states requesting more forces be deployed to their states. I previously wrote a column where I argued that there is no war for the U.S. in Ukraine, and I still argue that we have no interest in a war. There’s nothing to be gained by going to war with Russia, but even still, better cooperation with NATO allies in Eastern Europe is never something to dismiss out of hand. As long as Russia continues to act menacingly or in ways that are difficult for their neighbors to interpret, the U.S. stands to gain by remaining calm and rational. We should welcome this opportunity to craft closer ties with our historical allies in Western Europe as well as more recent allies in former Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe.
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