One of the major events in the energy industry, which has recently grown much more important on the European continent and around the world than the financial and military sectors put together, is being held in Moscow this week. It is known as " Russian Energy Week " The schedule is customarily jam-packed with conferences, talks, and meetings at the highest and ministerial levels, but it is unlikely to be untrue to suggest that Vladimir Putin, who customarily addresses the attendees with a welcome speech, set the major leitmotif and vector of REW. This particular statement proved to be particularly strict, precise, and unforgiving of ambiguous interpretation.
If we closely examine the Russian president's address, the basic message is very clear: Europe has one final chance to realize who it really is, not to declare independence from Russia or even to make peace with it, but to at least rescue itself as winter approaches.
The very first remarks made it plain that Russia had ...