?????
Get a map.
Look at it.
It isn’t hard to figure out the strategy.
Russia loses the South Stream, but still gets the chance (With the now-proposed Blue Line expansion) to cut off the Saudi project, and supply gas to southern Europe, by passing Ukraine.
Not sure why you are attacking me, yet again.
~Russia loses the South Stream~
Russia has at least two major pipelines apart from South Stream. One ‘risky’ through unstable Ukraine. And the second Nord Stream directly to Germany which is not affected by Ukrainian risks.
I understand why Germany don’t want reliable analogue of Nord Stream for South Europe and I can say that a level of German control on decision-making in these countries is really impressive.
How exactly would a Russia-Turkish deal “cut off” a possible Saudi-Turkish deal? Why would the Turks not want to be a hub for both Russian and Saudi gas?