Think of Russia as an asset, not a risk

July 22 2008
By Arild Moe

In April 2006, President Putin affirmed Gazprom’s statement that, without better access to the downstream gas market in the European Union, they might direct gas flows elsewhere. Russian-European energy relations were consequently thrown into crisis. Suddenly, Russian gas could not be seen as reliable.

By 2008 the relationship was smoother. Perceptions of …