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What did Europe's weekend signals mean by 29 January 2018?
Summary
A retrospective on two reports from 27 January 2018, on a Czech election result and US and Polish opposition to Nord Stream 2.
What was Europe weighing as it reached 29 January 2018? Two reports from the preceding weekend, both dated 27 January 2018, set the tone: one on a Czech vote, the other on a pipeline.
In the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman, the incumbent, was elected to a second term as President after winning 51.8 percent in the run-off. His challenger was Jiří Drahoš, who was pro-EU. Zeman opposes immigration and objects to EU sanctions against Russia.
The same day, United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the U.S. and Poland oppose the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. He said they saw it as undermining Europe's overall energy security and stability.
Two stories, one region
The reports concerned different matters, one a ballot and the other a gas project. Each, however, touched on how European states relate to Russia: the Czech president's stance on sanctions, and the American and Polish view of Nord Stream 2.
For readers in Kyiv and elsewhere in the region, these were the developments recorded just before 29 January 2018.
