Germany's relations with Russia have recently earned the epithet 'silence for gas,' echoing the 'blood for oil' often used to characterize American policy in Iraq. But is this justified? Must Germany make political concessions to Russia to avoid a Russian gas boycott? How important are Russian...

On 8 September 2005, German and Russian industry, in the presence of both Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and President Vladimir Putin, signed an agreement on the construction of the much-discussed natural gas pipeline running offshore through the Baltic Sea. The Russian monopolist Gazprom has been...

In January 2006, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine over future gas prices, which had escalated by the end of 2005, was settled for the time being with a compromise. While the Russian company Gazprom has benefitted from the agreement, the reputation of Russia as a reliable energy supplier...

When President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing on 21 March 2006 heading a delegation of 1000 government officials, many observers expected that he would finally sign the contracts for the East Siberian oil pipeline to China which had been under discussion for many years. Instead, he surprisingly...