Revisiting Pipeline Politics and Diplomacy

This article questions the currency of contemporary pipeline politics and diplomacy as applied in the Eurasian gas system. In doing so, it argues that the mosaic of proposed pipelines— notably Nord Stream 2, South Stream, and Turkish Stream—is out of tune with the current traits of global political life, namely geopolitical ruptures, changing market fundamentals, fuel uncertainty, and the evolving politics and economics of natural gas. This article provides alternative explanations for the still-central role of pipeline politics and diplomacy in energy politics and concludes with the policy implications stemming from their alternative reading.