Prior to Israel’s recent attacks on Iran, energy prices and supplies were buffeted by the continuing war between Ukraine and Russia. Following the American bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites, Iran threatened to close the...more
6/30/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Fertilizers ,
Food Supply ,
Geopolitical Risks ,
International Trade ,
Iran ,
Israel ,
Oil & Gas ,
Russia ,
Ukraine
Ever since the relationship between former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, and a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma became public, Ukrainian energy companies have been in the public eye. That remains the case, as the...more
In the early hours of Monday, January 6, 2025, a severe winter storm fell on much of the MidAtlantic region and extended into New England. Forecasters predicted that this would only be the first in a series of significant...more
1/9/2025
/ Biden Administration ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Infrastructure ,
Jones Act ,
Natural Gas ,
Russia ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration
The collapse of the Assad Regime in Syria is the latest in a series of political and military defeats that have staggered the Kremlin. In just two short weeks, the 54-year-old Assad family dynasty fell to a collection of...more
As the Ukraine war progresses toward its third winter, Russian President Vladimir Putin finds himself besieged on numerous fronts. During the first 30 months of this conflict, Putin used his vast energy resources to hedge...more
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries enacted a series of embargoes against Russian goods and raw materials, including natural gas and oil, that many did not think possible or implementable given...more
8/13/2024
/ China ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Embargo ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Fertilizers ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
NATO ,
Natural Gas ,
Russia
Since Israel killed Iran Revolutionary Guard Commander General Mohammed Reza Zahedi and six others in Damascus, Syria on April 2, Iran has sworn that it will retaliate harshly against Israel. Israeli soldiers have had their...more
Statesmen hesitate to get involved in wars for numerous reasons. One key reason is that, once they are started, wars can, and often do, take on lives of their own. Indeed, at times, they produce the exact opposite result of...more
The best statesmen understand what less worldly and less experienced people often overlook: Wars are mainly political and economic endeavors, and they involve the use of brute force to obtain political and/or economic...more
Two new developments of enormous significance passed under the radar last week, buried by the growing threat of an outright Russia/Ukraine war and governmental encroachment on democracy in Canada. These developments, however,...more
3/14/2022
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Coal ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Sector ,
EU ,
FERC ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
NATO ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Russia ,
Shale Gas ,
Ukraine
Shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 23, President Biden reinstated the sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that he had waived only last year. Depending on what side of the political divide you...more
3/14/2022
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Fracking ,
Germany ,
Joe Biden ,
Marcellus Shale ,
NATO ,
Oil & Gas ,
Paris Agreement ,
Pipelines ,
Russia ,
Ukraine
When Vladimir Putin sent his troops into Ukraine to go conquer that democracy, all of the abstract concepts about energy ended. While not quite a Pearl Harbor moment in terms of instantaneous ideological shift, Putin's...more
3/14/2022
/ Bad Actors ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Sector ,
Exports ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Marcellus Shale ,
Natural Gas ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Russia ,
Ukraine
During a press briefing on Friday afternoon, State Department spokesman Ned Price abruptly changed the subject from the disastrous pullout in Afghanistan to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
A Russian ship, the Ostap Sheremeta,...more
8/30/2021
/ Afghanistan ,
Biden Administration ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Germany ,
Keystone XL Pipeline ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Pipelines ,
Russia ,
Ukraine
While America was transfixed with the sordid spectacle of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, the news that really can have international impact was playing out in Istanbul, Turkey. On Thursday its ramifications began...more
10/12/2018
/ Economic Sanctions ,
Fracking ,
Journalists ,
Marcellus Shale ,
Middle East ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Saudi Arabia ,
State Sponsors of Terrorism ,
Trump Administration ,
Turkey