US energy production has given US more leverage in dealing with adversaries

John Siciliano:

The tip of the spear when it comes to President Trump’s diplomacy is not the tongue of the diplomat, but the power of the pipeline.

The United States is now the world’s No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas, eating away at Washington’s past dependence on foreign producers and oil cartels. And that means the influence of petrostates like Iran and Russia and autocracies around the world.

Trump calls it “energy dominance,” and the freedom it provides has undergirded many of the president’s decisions, from moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem to re-imposing sanctions on Iran, according to administration sources.

“It allows us to impose these sanctions and not upset the world oil market very much,” said Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette. “It’s a fundamentally different posture to be in, in regard to our foreign policy. … It just gives us leverage.”

In negotiations with European, Chinese, and other world leaders, the president has made energy a central theme. Earlier this year, Trump even taunted NATO members at a summit in Brussels, calling them “captives” to Russian energy.

Above all, the comment was aimed at Germany, which is working with the Russian state-run energy firm Gazprom to build the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

The administration opposes the construction of the pipeline and has signed a joint agreement with Germany’s neighbor Poland to “counter” energy projects that "threaten our mutual security, such as Nord Stream 2."

"We believe [the pipeline] would undermine Europe’s overall energy security and stability by providing Russia with another tool for the political coercion of European countries, especially Ukraine," said Vincent Campos, spokesman for the State Department's Bureau of Energy Resources. "Russia understands that this project is dividing Europe and is using that to its advantage."

Plus, he added in an email: "Construction of Nord Stream 2 also poses a significant national security risk to the Baltic Sea region, as Russia could use the need to protect pipeline construction as justification for expanding its military presence along parts of NATO’s eastern flank.”

Trump and the Polish government support energy deliveries that are resilient to any attempt by Russia to divert energy supplies. It's part of a strategic decision to diversify energy supplies in Central Europe and the Baltic region by relying on liquified natural gas from the U.S. and other countries.
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The Germans are also coming around to the US position on energy security.  Liberals may not like Trump's style in negotiation, but it would be a mistake to ignore its effectiveness in improving US national interest.  It is also an example of how the US growing its energy impact also has enhanced the security of US allies.

Growing the US energy business also demonstrates how Obama's attempts to weaken it also weakened US national security and the security of its allies.  Obama was just dead wrong on not only fossil fuels and their importance but was also dead wrong on thinking that alternative energy would strengthen the US.