A Soviet-era pipeline, opposed by the president but supported by the oil and gas industry, set up the dependency that today helps fund the Russian assault on Ukraine.
A chief goal of the meetings this week is to show that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will not lead to sniping and disagreement among the United States and its allies.
Conflicts among the U.S., Russia and China — and endless Covid-19 outbreaks — strain the interdependent economy and Western ideas of post-Cold War stability.