In order to decrease its dependence on transit countries, particularly Ukraine, Russia decided to diversificate gas deliveries routes to Europe. Therefore, over time this regular business task outgrew into a fixed idea with political “flavour”. Hence, 7December 2012 Gasprom, in affiliation with a range of European oil and gas companies set up building “South stream” gas pipeline. But due to Kremlin’s aggressive and ill-considered policy this project has never been over. It is worth mentioning that several European states had felt suspicious of that freaky project since the very beginning of its construction, which consequently resulted in European Commission having passed a respective resolution in 2014 and withdrew from the agreement. Sure, as it always happen in times when Putin’s plan fails, he tries to keep his front going as if Europe had rejected Russia’s extremely beneficial proposal.
Nevertheless, about a year after another Russian “Brilliant Project” came forth… As we know Putin becomes fabulously insistent and even ruthless in case his excessive ambitions are somehow affected. Thus, being completely obsessed with an idea to make the gas pipe reach the European shore he recurred to the support of Bulgaria’s (which was initially intended to lay the stream through) southern neighbour – Turkey. And he may have even received some help and assistance there, but for Gasprom directorate saw it right to respect its partners and take their interests into account. Today, owing to its avidity and insolence Russian gas giant is risking of staying face to face with a half-built gas pipe lying on the bottom of the Black sea. Instead of considering its previous mistakes, Russia proceeded with laying another gas pipe ambitiously called “Turkish Stream”, without even obtaining official permission from the Turkish officials. For some reason, Gasprom representatives are sure that the relative bilateral agreement with Turkey is bound to be concluded right after parliamentary elections taking place in June. The only question is “Why are they so sure”? Apparently arrogance and feeling of own difference have pinnacled Russian authorities that high they can’t actually distinguish other countries on the Earth, let alone their proper interests. Certainly, if Gasprom general executive managed to come down from his dreams he would notice that Turkish priority gas project is TANAP and not the “Turkish Stream”. In preference to hastily setting about putting the project in force and demonstrating its short temper and lack of prudence, Gasprom should have taken into consideration the rhetorics of its partner and subsequently conclude a mutually beneficial agreement. However, recent experience clearly demonstrates that Russian authorities have no clue to such notions as tolerance and mutual respect, as they are used to act by means of force and intimidation. Yet it remains unknown who they are tending to intimidate with a half-constructed gas pipe…
After Putin’s visit of Yerevan on 24 April, in the course of which he honored legacy to the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide, Russian-Turkish relations have altered from being strained to embittered, which isn’t strange at all, considering Turkey doesn’t recognize those events to be the genocide. Therefore, President Erdogan has emotionally appealed to Vladimir Putin to comment on numerous recorded violations of human rights in Crimea and his devastating actions in Donbass region.
All things considered, we can state that the current Gasprom’s situation is pretty dismal. There were two large-scale projects launched in the context of the financial stress – “Siberia Power” and “Turkish Stream”. It may testify nothing but a new pretext to plunder budgetary funds, suggesting Russian gas giant and its major “shareholder” Vladimir Putin being interested exceptionally in the process of the construction since they aren’t disposing of the funds sufficient to put the aforementioned projects to the end. But even more deplorable is the fact that Russian credulous people will be as usually poured with tons of deceitful propaganda, constantly blaming uncooperative partners for all the misfortunes of great and invincible Russia.