The United States could stop Russia from aggression on Ukraine by restarting its energy industry and becoming the major supplier of gas and oil to Europe, former Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland said Tuesday on Newsmax.
"Russia is doing this right now because its coffers, its revenues, have doubled since last year because we pulled out of the energy industry, oil, natural gas, and canceled the Keystone [pipeline]," said McFarland on "Wake Up America." "The price doubled and Russia's rich again. That's why they're able to do this."
If the United States would restart its energy production, "we could replace Russia," McFarland said. "We could become the major energy source for the Europeans. They are going to import energy from somebody. How about they import it from the United States?"
That way, Europe "wouldn't be blackmailed" by Russia, she added, but "right now, they have no choice."
During the Trump administration, the United States was working toward liquefied natural gas terminals in Belgium, she said.
"How about building more of them?" she said. "How about building pipelines? From there to all of Europe?"
Even if the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is blocked to Germany, Russia can always sell fuel to China, so the effects of blocking the energy transfer wouldn't be felt right away, she also said.
"A week ago, China and Russia announced a joint agreement where they're going to now be best buddies forever," said McFarland. "The Chinese have said, Russia, you can grab Ukraine. And Russia said, China, you can grab Taiwan — and by the way, China will buy any of the Russian energy that isn't going to Europe."
Meanwhile, the United States doesn't have a military role to play in Ukraine should Russia follow through with an invasion, but it still should give Ukraine weapons to defend itself if it's willing to stand up to Russia, McFarland said.
There are differences, however, between the Ukraine situation and in Afghanistan, where the United States at first armed the Taliban to push Russia out and then ended up having American soldiers there for 20 years, she continued.
Meanwhile, Taiwan knows that "they are next" because Ukraine "is lost," said McFarland.
"They're looking to see what happens in Ukraine, and then Taiwan is next," she said, adding that she doesn't think there will be a physical invasion of either country.
"They will use other weapons, economic, cyber intimidation. but that's how they'll get what they want in the end," she said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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