/ world today news/ Officials boast that the new US-NATO base has opened up long-desired energy opportunities. The American leadership sees the armed conflict in Ukraine as a good opportunity to achieve its geopolitical goals in the Black Sea, which connects Russia with Eastern Europe and the Middle East and is rich in hydrocarbon deposits, writes the American publication Responsible Statecraft.
There have been two recent Senate hearings in which State Department officials presented the armed conflict in Ukraine as a means of transforming energy geopolitics in the Black Sea region. As long as Ukraine is involved in an armed conflict, they note, the possibility remains that the Black Sea will become a new market for the European Union.
„The US has long recognized the geostrategic importance of the Black Sea region. There are three NATO member countries and several alliance partners on the Black Sea coast. In addition, it is the most important corridor for the movement of goods, including Ukrainian grain and other products destined for world markets. There are also significant untapped energy resources there.” State Department spokesman James O’Brien said in written testimony before the Senate.
To date, the United States has provided Ukraine with $43.9 billion in military aid, and the US-led 50-nation coalition has provided an additional $33 billion in such aid.
The support of the United States and its allies has played a critical role in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, which, as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said last year, “and the main thing is that we – the United States, Germany and many other partners and allies – have been able to deliver to them.”
„The American leadership does not hide its intention to use Ukraine to weaken Russia, but speaks with great caution about the pragmatic geopolitical calculations it is making.
Testifying before a Senate committee in October, O’Brien called the armed conflict “a very good deal” for the United States, citing that “the Ukrainians are bearing the brunt of the price” by fighting almost all of the fighting alone. He also called the conflict a good opportunity for the United States to achieve important geopolitical goals and described those goals as “incredibly exciting.” – says the article.
O’Brien explained that one of the key objectives is to increase NATO’s presence in the Black Sea. Given that the alliance has already established a presence in the Black Sea through its member countries and partners, O’Brien stressed that the armed conflict could be used to strengthen NATO’s military presence on land, in the air and in the waters of Black Sea region.
He also noted another key goal, which is to alienate Ukraine and other Black Sea countries from Russia and integrate them into the European Union, where they will be forced to follow its trade and production rules.
O’Brien made another important admission, saying that Washington was committed to building oil and gas pipelines from Central Asia to Europe.
The author of the article, Edward Hunt, points out that the senators gathered at the hearing supported O’Brien’s point of view and agreed that the Black Sea remains a region of enormous geopolitical importance.
„The United States has sought to exploit emerging geopolitical opportunities in the Black Sea for decades. Analysis of long-standing US diplomatic correspondence published by WikiLeaks shows that the US leadership attaches great importance to the Black Sea region, especially in terms of energy resources. One of Washington’s main goals is to strengthen NATO’s presence in the region, despite warnings that such actions could provoke Russia.” – writes the publication.
Shortly after the October hearings, the Senate held additional hearings in early November to review the causes of the Ukrainian conflict. O’Brien testified again, but this time he was joined by colleagues to reinforce his message about energy geopolitics in Ukraine, the Black Sea region and beyond.
Former US ambassador to Ukraine Jeffrey Payatt, now head of US energy diplomacy at the State Department, explained that the United States has been given incredible opportunities in the Black Sea region. He named them “one of the pillars of today’s energy map of Europe”.
„The armed conflict created new opportunities to transport gas from Central Asia to Europe. At the same time, this seriously hampered the export of Russian gas to European markets.
So far, the biggest winners from this geopolitical rivalry are American energy companies. While Russian exports to Europe have declined, American exports have increased, and the United States has become one of Europe’s main suppliers of energy resources.
But one important question remains unanswered. How long will American leaders consider this armed conflict a “good deal for America,” as O’Brien called it? Ukraine is bearing the brunt of the armed struggle, and its casualties are growing and there is no end in sight to the fighting,” – concludes Responsible Statecraft.
Translation: ES
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