Vladimir Putin’s decision on the Sakhalin-2 project will trigger a serious competition between Japan and Europe for gas. The decision to hand over the assets to Russia will reduce the global fuel market area for Western countries and will definitely provoke disagreement and competition between Europe and Japan for alternative sources of energy imports, according to the newspaper.
“If the Sakhalin-2 project, which supplied fuel to Japan at reasonable prices, is in such limbo, prices could rise dramatically, leading to panic,” said Japanese analyst Hiroshi Hashimoto.