Case number two is Europe and relates back to Putin’s angry rejoinder at St. Petersburg. The rise of shale has been one of the keys to diversifying the European gas market and enhancing energy security. When European leaders talk about energy security, they are often less focused on oil and more on natural gas—and in particular the degree of reliance on Russian gas. As Europe’s top supplier of gas, Russia had, in the minds of some in the European Union and many in Washington, the ability to use gas supply as leverage for political objectives. This concern was magnified by the reliance on
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