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Zeman's re-election and Nord Stream 2 objections
Summary
Two reports from 27 January 2018 showed Russia-related policy questions at the centre of European politics.
What did two reports from the weekend before 29 January 2018 say about Europe's debates over Russia? Both dated from 27 January 2018, and both touched on how the region approached Moscow.
In the Czech Republic, incumbent Miloš Zeman was elected to a second term as President. He took 51.8 percent of the vote in the run-off against Jiří Drahoš, a pro-EU challenger. 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. In their view, the project undermines Europe's overall energy security and stability.
What the two items had in common
The two reports concerned different matters: a presidential vote in Prague and a pipeline dispute involving Washington and Warsaw. Each, however, involved a question about relations with Russia. One concerned the EU's sanctions. The other concerned the security of Europe's energy supply.
For readers in Kyiv and across the region, the reports set out two positions as they stood on 27 January 2018. A re-elected Czech president objected to sanctions on Russia. The U.S. and Poland, for their part, opposed Nord Stream 2.
