Gazprom became the largest gas company in the world. It provided gas to keep Russia’s domestic economy going, even if bills went unpaid; it maintained its reputation as a reliable supplier to Western Europe. And it delivered desperately needed revenues to the national treasury. Amid the chaos of the collapse, Gazprom represented not only continuity with the past but also Russia’s future economic integration with the West. Gazprom insisted it operated as a commercial organization. But for some outside Russia, it was not just a gas company. It was also the palpable ghost of the Soviet-American
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