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What did late January 2018 signal for Europe?
Summary
A look back at two reports from 27 January 2018, on a Czech run-off and US and Polish opposition to Nord Stream 2, as seen from 2 February 2018.
What was Europe weighing as it reached 2 February 2018? Two reports from 27 January 2018 offered part of the answer, one on voters, the other on energy.
In the Czech Republic, incumbent Miloš Zeman won a second term as President after the run-off. He received 51.8 percent of the votes against the pro-EU challenger Jiří Drahoš. Zeman opposes immigration and objects to EU sanctions against Russia.
On 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 see it as undermining Europe's overall energy security and stability.
Two threads, one region
The two reports concern different questions, an election result and a pipeline. Both touched on Europe's relationship with Russia: Zeman's stated objection to sanctions on one side, and Washington's and Warsaw's stated concern over a gas link on the other.
For readers in Kyiv and across the region, these were the positions on record as that week ended.
