Following Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, tensions between the West and the Kremlin have been dangerously simmering. Meanwhile, the spotlight has moved to Eastern Ukraine where unmarked soldiers appear to be keen on destabilizing the situation further. Anti-Ukrainian agitators seized government buildings and police stations making a mockery of Kiev’s sovereignty. This sets up an ideal breeding… Keep reading →
Last week 11 democratic senators signed a letter to President Obama urging a Keystone Pipeline decision be made by May 31. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota spearheaded the letter along with new Energy and Natural Resources Chairwoman Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana. The senators expressed the importance of not missing the summer construction season.… Keep reading →
Although Iran’s nuclear potential will likely dominate talks between President Obama and King Abdullah on March 29, Riyadh’s own nuclear plans should also be part of the discussion. A major probable consequence of Iran achieving a nuclear weapons capability is that Saudi Arabia will seek to match it. With President Obama currently rating the chances… Keep reading →
Today the White House announced its inter-agency strategy for cutting methane emissions from landfills, coal mining, agriculture, and oil & gas systems as part of the Obama administration’s Climate Action Plan. “Taking action to curb methane waste and pollution is important because emissions of methane make up nearly 9 percent of all the greenhouse gas… Keep reading →
President Obama’s meeting with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah tomorrow is expected to largely focus on Iran, but other topics are likely to include Egypt, Syria and of course the US-Saudi strategic partnership. US-Saudi relations have been tumultuous of late – making this meeting especially important – due to disagreements over US-Iranian negotiations, the lack of… Keep reading →
President Obama is meeting with the leaders of Japan and South Korea – two of Asia’s largest energy consumers – today in The Hague. Easing strained relations between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and President Park Geun-hye of South Korea could help the US work more closely with these important allies on critical regional… Keep reading →
The withdrawal of several ambassadors from Qatar is a setback to U.S. diplomacy with Gulf allies and another item for President Obama’s upcoming meeting with the Saudi king. Earlier today, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates recalled their ambassadors from Qatar, choosing a high-visibility tactic to emphasize long-simmering tensions within the Gulf Cooperation… Keep reading →
President Obama upped the ante yesterday in the burgeoning trade war with Russia over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine when he announced an executive order that authorized sanctioning Russian economic sectors. The first round of sanctions targeted individual Russian officials, but now enterprises involved in Russia’s energy sector – including banks, trading houses and… Keep reading →
Americans understand that some debates in Washington are often marked by major philosophical and political differences. And we’ve all watched disagreement amongst the major parties stall controversial issues like financial and healthcare reform and even shut down our government. However, a more startling byproduct is the way partisanship is taking its toll on issues that… Keep reading →
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll on the Keystone XL pipeline adds to the drumbeat of strong public support for building the pipeline. The Post/ABC survey shows a nearly 3 to 1 margin, with 65 percent saying Keystone XL should be approved. Details of the poll show why: 85 percent say the pipeline will create a significant number of… Keep reading →
