Christian Science Monitor: Ukraine crisis: How Spain could ease Europe's energy woes

The Ukraine crisis has spurred new interest in Europe finding alternatives to Russian natural gas imports. Spain is not exactly an energy powerhouse, but it could serve as a conduit to the rest of Europe for supplies of non-Russian natural gas.

The simmering standoff in eastern Ukraine following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March has European policymakers looking for alternatives to Russian gas imports. One obvious strategy would be to boost liquid natural gas (LNG) imports, and when U.S. President Barack Obama visited Europe last month, officials lobbied him to open the floodgates of U.S. LNG as a way to help American allies and weaken Russia’s position.

Leaving aside the fact that LNG from the U.S. could not possibly provide immediate relief to Europe, over the long-term, Europe could certainly boost its LNG purchases as a way to avoid having to deal with an unreliable Russian source.
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