Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine Forces A Rethink Of American Energy Policies

Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine Forces A Rethink Of American Energy Policies

Shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 23, President Biden reinstated the sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that he had waived only last year. Depending on what side of the political divide you are on, Biden's reinstatement either was an example of feckless flip-flopping or of intelligent, calculated political maneuvering. To those of us whom we hope view these issues through less partisan lenses, there is truth in both of those interpretations. President Biden's initial dropping of the Trump-initiated sanctions seemed at the time a sop to Germany, and a reinforcement of western weakness as he seemingly allowed Germany to become even more dependent on Russian energy. In fact, it is possible that some of this perceived weakness may have helped influence Vladimir Putin to believe in the west's weakness, possibly even encouraging his eventual invasion of Ukraine. But if so, Biden's reimposition of the sanctions reflects an understanding that when aggressive international action is necessary, even in the economic and political sphere, it needs to be taken, no matter how bad it may look to one's political opponents. For this, Biden deserves credit. The overall problem with Biden's approach, however, and indeed that of the west