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Opinion
Julian Lee

When Energy Pipelines Are Political, Everyone Suffers

Europe is becoming ever more hostage to the politicization of its pipelines. That doesn’t bode well for a looming winter energy crisis.

Pipeline politics are hurting everyone.

Pipeline politics are hurting everyone.

Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
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The placement of energy pipelines has always been shaped by political considerations, often at the expense of commercial ones. But the operation of existing lines is increasingly becoming politicized, too. And that’s going to hurt everyone.

There are many examples of pipeline routes being selected to serve geopolitical ends.