Russian power plays in southeastern Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin is on an official visit to Bulgaria, where contracts are on the table for large and controversial energy projects, including one regarding the route of the South Stream Pipeline. Ognjan Mintschev thinks these projects function mainly as a way for Russia to retain control over the former Soviet sphere of influence. "Europe's 'soft edges,' those small countries exhausted by the post-communist transitional years, represent a territory that is most easily destabilized and altered. ... Since Russia's 'energy prominence' is shrinking, it is trying to win back those former satellite states through huge investments. Russia is in a hurry for another reason. Europe currently is rather weak in terms of geo-political influence, and the USA is sinking in the quicksand of the Iraq war."

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