Why energy insecurity is here to stay
The war will speed the shift from petrostates to new electrostates
ENERGY AND commodities lie at the dark heart of Vladimir Putin’s regime and the threat it poses to the world. Four trillion dollars of oil and gas exports over the two decades of his rule have paid for the tanks, guns and Grad missiles now killing Ukrainians. Natural-resource earnings have entrenched a rent-seeking elite that has created an offshore archipelago of yachts, nightclubs and Caribbean front companies, stifled representative politics and indulged Mr Putin’s megalomaniacal fantasies.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Power play”
From the March 26th 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Leaders
Health warnings about alcohol give only half the story
Enjoyment matters as well as risk
Pete Hegseth’s culture war will weaken America’s armed forces
Donald Trump’s nominee for defence risks driving away talent
The capitalist revolution Africa needs
The world’s poorest continent should embrace its least fashionable idea
Just because Indonesia has nickel doesn’t mean it should make EVs
Economic nationalists are making a reckless bet
Donald the Deporter
Could a man who makes ugly promises of mass expulsion actually fix America’s immigration system?
Mark Zuckerberg’s U-turn on fact-checking is craven—but correct
Social-media platforms should not be in the business of defining truth