Hour of Truth: The Conflict In Ukraine – Implications For Europe’S Energy Security And The Lessons For The U.S. Army

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, a number of gas disputes between Russia and Central and Eastern European countries have unveiled the strategic dependence of Europe on Russian piped gas. The recent Ukrainian crisis demonstrated that Europe has a desperate need to improve the security of its gas supply. The United States is interested in the economic stability and growth of Europe, because the European Union (Eu) is its principal and largest economic partner. The United States and the Eu enjoy the largest trade and investment relationship in the world, which should not be jeopardized by disruptive, anti-status-quo powers. Europe’s energy independence is not only an economic interest of America, but also a political and security one. Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas undermines European unity and weakens the primary U.S. allies in their relations with Russia. U.S. Armed Forces in Europe and the U.S. Army in particular can and should play an important role in promoting energy security. This involvement includes: increased situational awareness; deployment to the sensitive areas; and enhanced training activities, including with the allies of the U.S. military in Central and Eastern Europe. Audience: Military science, energy and infrastructure security management, and geopolitical students may benefit from this text as a supplemental resource relating to world interests in energy dependence. Additionally, U.S. Army soldiers, policymakers, energy professionals, utility company staff, and political scientists may be interested in this timely monograph. Keywords: European energy security; natural gas; coal; uranium; oil; Europe; Turkey; European and Central Command; energy infrastructure; North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Nato; energy companies; security of pipelines and other gas facilities; U.S. Army; law enforcement;