"The Deal of the Century: A Study of the Siberian-European Gas Pipeline Project and the United States' Position on It" (1981-1982)

Abstract

Abstract:

The cooperation project between the Soviet Union and Western European countries (Britain, France, West Germany and Italy) during the period (1981-1982) to build the Siberian gas pipeline, which would represent the beginning of Western Europe's dependence on Soviet gas, led to the US administration's opposition to the project by all means, which led to the division of the Western alliance, as the project represented the largest trade agreement between Western Europe and the Soviet Union in history, which was called the "Deal of the Century". This deal represented the construction of "the longest pipeline in the world", extending from Siberia to supply Western Europe with Soviet natural gas, in exchange for Western European countries providing Moscow with the equipment and funds necessary to build the pipeline to transport it to them.

         This research studies the importance of the pipeline project during the period (1981-1982), and the sanctions that the United States failed to impose on its European allies to stop the completion of the construction of the Siberian-European pipeline, given that the American administration was seeking to reduce the Soviet Union's gas imports, so it proposed Norwegian gas, especially Troll gas, as an alternative to Soviet gas, after it became aware of the pace of development of the European-Siberian pipeline. The research problem revolves around the dispute that occurred between Western European countries and the United States of America over the project and the reasons that prompted the latter to oppose it? In addition to the extent of the impact of the European-Siberian pipeline on European-American relations? The research was divided into three axes. The first axis reviewed the importance of the Siberian gas pipeline and the details of the deal. It discussed the reasons that prompted Western European countries to enter into a cooperation project with the Soviet Union, especially after the oil crises that occurred during the years (1973 and 1980), which had a negative impact on European energy resources. This prompted them to search for guaranteed alternatives, after they found in Soviet gas that they could rely on as a source of energy in the development of their industries, especially with the developments that the world witnessed during the last quarter of the twentieth century. As for the second axis, it included the position of the United States of America on the project, as it clarified the position of the Reagan administration, which strongly opposed the deal, fearing the strengthening of the Soviet economy, as the United States of America imposed a trade embargo on European companies participating in the project, and tried to use diplomatic means to persuade European countries to withdraw from the project, by providing alternatives and sources of energy, especially Norwegian Troll gas, in order to prevent them from being drawn into commercial cooperation with the Soviet Union. The third axis showed the results of the deal and its impact on European-American relations, as the dispute between the United States of America appeared And its European allies, because the Reagan administration saw the Euro-Siberian pipeline as a threat to its interests, as American sanctions would not have affected the completion of the project as much as they would have affected relations within the Western camp.