Trump speaks at Three Seas Initiative in Warsaw

The US president meets the leaders of 12 central and eastern European countries in Warsaw today to facilitate progress on the “Three Seas Initiative.” Among other things, this project aims to build the infrastructure and relationships required for regional energy security—reducing reliance on Russian hydrocarbons.

Most of the 12 countries in attendance today imported more than 75% of their gas from Russia last year. The planned expansion of the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia will only further this energy dependence in eastern and central euroe, increasing security risk.

To remedy this, Polish President Andrzej Duda plans to build an energy corridor from the Adriatic Sea to the Baltic, proposing a pipeline to Norway that will distribute American liquid natural gas—a relatively new development and one Mr Trump will be looking to peddle.

Expect the president’s ‘major speech’ to skirt over Article 5 and the NATO alliance, focusing instead on promoting American trade interests and a policy of “energy dominance.”