The American Tug-of-War Over Europe’s Gas Routes

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Αn intense diplomatic contest with far-reaching geopolitical stakes is unfolding behind the scenes in Greece and Turkey, centered on energy and the alternative routes for supplying natural gas to Europe.

At its heart is a simmering rivalry between competing American interests. On one side are those seeking to strengthen the Vertical Corridor, which runs from Greece through the Balkans to Eastern Europe, by supplying it with liquefied natural gas (LNG). On the other are those pushing to revive the Qatar–Turkey overland pipeline, known as the Development Road, which would carry gas from the vast North Dome field. If the project goes ahead, the pipeline would run from Qatar through Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Iraq, and Syria.

According to sources in energy diplomacy circles, the two US ambassadors in the region, Kimberly Guilfoyle in Athens and Tom Barrack in Ankara, each worked to advance opposing sets of American interests. The same sources link Guilfoyle’s removal to this high-stakes contest.