For decades, even up to the Libyan war a few years ago, Europe and the U.S. have been either ignoring or alienating Northern Africa and most of Africa in general.
Russia has been building alliances and good relations in Africa, especially in Algeria and Libya. China too has been investing heavily in Africa. Western Europe gets almost as much natural gas from Algeria and Libya combined as it does from Russia, through the Trans-Med pipeline, the Green Stream pipeline and others, flowing into Italy and Spain.
Algeria has been drastically raising their price on natural gas to Europe. Libya has "political problems" with rebels, so have cut the gas flow to Europe to only 40% capacity. If Russia cuts off all gas flow to Europe this winter, they can easily convince Libya and Algeria to also either cut off the gas, or to quadruple the price.
Niger and Nigeria and Congo all ave significant natural gas resources, and could develop a Trans-Saharan pipeline to Algeria or Libya, thence to Europe. Who would build it? Either Russia or China. WE have sufficiently destroyed our relationship with Africa that Russia or China would be the preferred partner. That would give them control over gas field extraction and pipelines to Europe.
Through the West's meddling, coup attempts, war mongering and arrogance... we have placed Europe's fuel supply at the mercy of Russia and China and their African allies which they developed.
Europe has another problem too.
For decades, even up to the Libyan war a few years ago, Europe and the U.S. have been either ignoring or alienating Northern Africa and most of Africa in general.
Russia has been building alliances and good relations in Africa, especially in Algeria and Libya. China too has been investing heavily in Africa. Western Europe gets almost as much natural gas from Algeria and Libya combined as it does from Russia, through the Trans-Med pipeline, the Green Stream pipeline and others, flowing into Italy and Spain.
Algeria has been drastically raising their price on natural gas to Europe. Libya has "political problems" with rebels, so have cut the gas flow to Europe to only 40% capacity. If Russia cuts off all gas flow to Europe this winter, they can easily convince Libya and Algeria to also either cut off the gas, or to quadruple the price.
Niger and Nigeria and Congo all ave significant natural gas resources, and could develop a Trans-Saharan pipeline to Algeria or Libya, thence to Europe. Who would build it? Either Russia or China. WE have sufficiently destroyed our relationship with Africa that Russia or China would be the preferred partner. That would give them control over gas field extraction and pipelines to Europe.
Through the West's meddling, coup attempts, war mongering and arrogance... we have placed Europe's fuel supply at the mercy of Russia and China and their African allies which they developed.
Interesting, good analysis. That's why we love this site. Thanks for this, frog. 🐸
...valid observation, nicely stated and framed.....
She's about the same size.
There's also various rare earth mineral deposits of the sort necessary for many tech items in that AO.