Russia’s ongoing troop buildup near the Ukrainian border has led to more than a month of intense diplomacy as well as new U.S. military deployments in Eastern Europe. The West typically responds to Russian aggression with economic sanctions. But since the West has already been sanctioning Russia for years following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and its role in the war in eastern Ukraine, to have an impact any new sanctions would need to tackle Russian energy supplies to Europe – especially the forthcoming Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea.
