Is the U.S. Seeking to Contain Russia - Research Paper Example

Is the U.S. Seeking to Contain Russia? PRO: Yes, the U.S. is seeking to contain Russia because: 1. The US is pressuring Greece not to sell DEPA to Gazprom. 2. The US is immensely concerned that the monopoly imposed by the massive Russian state-owned gas company. 3. Russia’s position in the region can detrimentally affect other countries’ overall economic situations. 4. The possibility of a nuclear Russian attack against America and other countries is growing. 5. The nuclear proliferation of Russia. 6. The domination of Russia over European countries, especially the instigation of communism. CON: No the U.S. is NOT seeking to contain Russia because: 1. Diversification of natural supplies is beneficial for all countries involved. 2. Russia has a strong position in the global energy market. 3. Diversification enhances the opportunity for competition. 4. Russia is also fully aware of the economic realities and acts accordingly. 5. European continent is capable of managing its own affairs and dealing with any threat imposed by Russia. 6. Russia’s position is increasingly being weakened by the revolution of shale gas, as well as the increasing popularity of LNG. Some people might think that the US government is presently instituting efforts to ensure its dominance and control on Russia. Recent news reports indicate that the US government is presently placing immense pressure on the Greek government to cancel the sale of its famous gas operator, DEPA to Gazprom, which is a major oil supplier in Russia. The US is immensely concerned that the massive Russian state-owned gas company that is a monopoly that supplies at least 90% of Greece’s entire gas consumption. This is bound to further augment Russia’s position in the region, and detrimentally affect Greece’s overall economic situation. This will place Russia in a position of extreme power, which may enhance the country’s supremacy in the greater European region (Lynch 99). In addition, the US is seeking to exert its control on Russia in order to deter the latter country’s instigation of communism in the European region. Russia was a former super power whose dominance in the region was deterred through the use of military force. Capitalist countries such as the US initiated conflict with Russia in order to deter Russia’s supremacy in the European region and ultimately the infiltration of communism in the rest of the world. Therefore, the US seeks to control Russia in order to deter Russia’s dominance in European or the rest of the world. This position would threaten US supremacy in the global political, economic and social front (Escobar 10). The US is also concerned that Russian company Gazprom’s acquisition of DEPA would enhance Moscow’s position in the complicated geopolitical game, hence enhancing the opportunities of Russia’s South Stream pipeline turning into the primary source of imported oil in the entire Southern European region. This would detrimentally affect major oil alternatives that enjoy US favor, for instance the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline and Nabucco pipeline (Barylski 12). Moreover, Greece is not the sole member of the European Union, which is presently subject to US lobbying regarding Russia’s assumed ambitions within the European continent. The same efforts have been adopted concerning the Czech Republic regarding its nuclear energy plans. The government of the Czech Republic is presently aiming at capitalizing onanti-nuclear energy sentiment within the neighboring countries, Austria and Germany, which was triggered by the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The Czech Republic is presently seeking to modernize and expand its Temelin plant, with two additional reactors expected to be added by the year 2025 at the cost of $10 billion. This will allow for the increase of exports to other European countries. At present, there are only two key bidders for Czech Republic’s nuclear energy; the Westinghouse domiciled in the US and Amtomstroyexport, which is located in Russia. In January of 2013, Hillary Clinton, the then US Secretary of State, paid a visit to Prague with a view to lobby in favor of the US company. During the visit, Hillary Clinton cautioned the government of the Czech Republic against cooperating with the Russians (Rasizade 6). The US is extremely concerned with Russia’s capacity to gain control of Czech Republic’s nuclear company, which the US considers as having detrimental effects to the situation of global power. However, notwithstanding the concerns of Washington, the US and Europe appreciate that the diversification of supplies, particularly with regard to strategic commodities, for instance, hydrocarbons is perfect in terms of a geopolitical and business sense. Both the US and Europe understands that the strong position held by Russia in the continent’s energy market draws not only from some form of conspiracy involving Kremlin, instead it is merely a reflection of the complementary nature of Russia’s resource endowment, as well as overall demand for energy in Europe (Greenberg and Kramer 61). Therefore, the US does not necessarily seek to control Russia because it appreciates that diversification not only enhances the opportunity for competition, while simultaneously exerting downward pressure on inflation, but it also enhances the essential interests of both the consumer and the supplier in the entire energy and resources market. This is primarily because both company monopoly and buyer monopsony, which arise from the authoritarian role of consumers as the chief and sole supplier of revenues to sellers, typically develop incentives for the abuse of the leverage they elicit. In the long term, different countries such as the US appreciate the benefits of diversification for all the parties involved in the trade. In addition, the US is not seeking to exert control on Russia since it appreciates that Russia is also fully aware of the economic realities involved in the continent’s geopolitical environment and has, in the last few years, been acting accordingly. As a matter of fact, Gazprom’s South Stream pipelines, as well as Nord Stream, that bypass Belarus and Ukraine are classic examples of an effective strategy aimed at contravening a transit monopoly. Consequently, the US is not seeking to control Russia since it appreciates that such dominance would detrimentally affect the transit environment in Europe, resulting in monopoly (Rasizade 6). The US is not seeking to control Russia because it knows that the European continent is capable of managing its own affairs and dealing with any threat imposed by Russia. For instance, Kyiv has the capacity to exert pressure on Gazprom by deterring the abuse of its monopoly in the transport of gas in the entire European Union. This has created a new and optimistic chapter in the energy security of Europe as a continent. This is primarily because the EU will benefit from reliable supplies of gas while Gazprom will enjoy reliable revenue streams. This speaks to the capacity of the European continent to take care of its business and ensure its own political and economic wellbeing Therefore, the US does not necessarily seek to contain Russia. For their part, other countries such as Ukraine can potentially come under intense pressure to appreciate the displeasure of structural reforms and wean its entire economy off subsidized gas provided by Gazprom. This means that all parties will ultimately win in the long term. Ukraine, Greece and other countries in Europe have the capacity to deter the dominance of Russia, both in terms of its supply of strategic products such as gas and Russia’s capacity to impose socialism in exchange for gas. The US needs not impose any form of restrictions on Russia with the view of protecting other European countries. In addition, the US is not seeking to control Russia since the entire international community is aware that Russia’s government is doing all it can to deter Gazprom’s export monopoly by encouraging competition in the country’s domestic gas market (Lynch 6). Moreover, Gazprom’s and Russia’s position is increasingly being weakened by the revolution of shale gas, as well as the increasing popularity of LNG, which is sold in spot markets. The substitution of Russia’s gas by alternative fuels in the EU, for instance, the EU electricity generation sector also diminishes Russia’s capacity to dominate the EU (Goldgeier 151). This essentially means that Russia’s capacity to exert its dominance over the European continent by pulling its gas strings is increasingly becoming eroded both internally and through external developments, hence there is no need for the US to exert control over Russia.   Works Cited Barylski, R. V. “Russia, the West, and the Caspian Energy Hub,” Middle East Journal, 49.2 Spring (1995). Print. Escobar, P. “The Gazprom Nation.” Asian Times Online 26 May 2006. Print. Goldgeier, J. M., and McFaul, M. Power and Purpose: U.S. Policy toward Russia after the Cold War.  Massachusetts: Brookings Institution Press, 2003. Print. Greenberg, I., and Kramer, A. E. “Cheney Urges Kazakhs to Bypass Russia.” International Herald Tribune 6 May. 2006. Print. Lynch, D. Engaging Eurasia’s Separatist States: Unresolved Conflicts and De Facto States. Washington, DC: U.S. Institute of Peace, 2004. Print. Rasizade, A. “The Great Game of Caspian Energy: Ambitions and Realities.” Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans 7. 1 (2005): 2. Print. Read More