23rd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Energy Security
Ms. Victoria Coates contended that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlighted a crucial reality: energy is no longer merely a commodity but a form of geopolitical currency, rendering energy security inextricably linked to national security. Drawing upon her experience in the Trump administration and her current position at the Heritage Foundation, she elucidated how energy diplomacy, such as Chevron’s acquisition of Noble Energy during negotiations leading to the Abraham Accords, exemplified energy’s constructive role in fostering peace in the Eastern Mediterranean. Conversely, she asserted that the United States’ reluctance to impose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 emboldened Vladimir Putin by signaling that Europe’s dependence on Russian gas constrained Western resolve. Coates emphasized that U.S. energy and climate policy should not be associated with cooperation with China, which she characterized as acting in bad faith while expanding coal production. She advocated for bolstering domestic production by eliminating regulatory and infrastructure obstacles, rejecting the outsourcing of emissions, and collaborating with dependable partners particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean and the “Middle Corridor” through Azerbaijan to provide stable, diversified energy supplies that diminish reliance on Russia and enhance global security.
