When Trump calls Russia a ‘competitor’ for the US, he might be talking about natural gas exports
The US cannot be a competitor to Russian gas. Not because US LNG could not replace a part of the Russian gas deliveries but rather because the Americans sell a different product. Russians sell locationally fixed gas. Pipelines are not very flexible once in the earth. LNG – on the other side – can roam the globe. But in order to always seek the best price, one needs a safety valve and this is going to be North Western Europe. Its Russian gas that helps US LNG evolving and becoming more profitable. But this aspect might be lost on Trump …
President Donald Trump complained during recent NATO meetings and through Twitter about how, in his opinion, Germany is “captive to Russia” because of that country’s reliance on Russian energy, especially natural gas.
This grievance may seem odd, given Trump’s often warm comments regarding Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But it makes sense in light of how Trump keeps insisting that the U.S. and Russia are “competitors” rather than adversaries.
