Poland, Russia and us

Here in the UK, Russia is threatening us.  The solution, to be either fearful, or do something really counterproductive such as enabling Ukraine to be a failed state which is the real crux of the matter in EU Russia gas relations. 

What's Ukraine done for us lately?  Or to be exact, what have they done for themselves lately, apart from vex the  Russians at our expense?

Ukraine, which has suffered a roundhouse blow from the economic crisis, has had no finance minister since February. It also has no foreign minister or defense minister. The transportation minister just stepped down. The interior minister has offered to resign as well, after being accused of drunken behavior.

The deadlock has led the major European nations to voice growing alarm that Ukraine is incapable of dealing with its disintegrating economy.

They fear that an economic collapse here could reverberate throughout the former Soviet bloc and beyond.

On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Germany and Poland made an unusual joint visit to the capital, Kiev. The German, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, declared that he was “extremely worried” about Ukraine, suggesting that its politicians must stop feuding if they wanted more assistance.

Sounds like Ukraine may not be an issue by the time the EU has built the Nabucco pipeline, which will bring us more reliable sources of supply. Like Uzbekistan and Iran for example. The  pipeline will also transit more reliable countries along the way. Like Armenia and Kurdistan for example.

Poland should be more worried about supply security than any one.  But they just inked an LNG deal with Qatar today.

It is the first long-term contract since 1993 which increases our energy security in real terms," Polish treasury minister Aleksander Grad said.

And why not.  Qatar needs customers too.  But who knows?  Maybe Poland won't need Russia at all.  Or Qatar:

BNK believes that the preliminary data it has analyzed, indicates that the makeup of the some of the shales within its Polish Concessions, are silica rich and appear to have thermal maturities and total organic carbon in a range that could make them successful shale gas projects

And :

BNK is also undertaking geologic mapping and data acquisitions in other parts of Europe in order to evaluate additional opportunities.

If Poland is successful, then that gives the UK an advantage in worrying even less about Russian gas.