能源为俄罗斯撑起外交保护伞DJRussia'sEnergyGivesItaDiplomaticCushionOfallthelessonsonemightdrawfromRussia'sbullyingofUkraine,thismaybethemostcoldbloodedofall:Ifyouwanttobehavebadly,ithelpstohavealotofoilandgas.Muchwillbeforgiven,oratleastignored.Europeannations,internationalenergycompaniesandChinaareall,intheirownways,drivinghomethepoint.TheEuropeansareafraidofpushingeconomicsanctionsagainstMoscowtoofarlesttheybecutofffromtheRussiannaturalgasthatprovidesasignificantshareoftheirenergy.TheinternationalenergycompaniesarebusyreassuringtheRussiansthattheywillkeepworkingtohelpdevelopRussianenergysupplies,theUkrainecrisisnotwithstanding.AndtheChinese--well,theymaybeonthevergeofcompletingadealthathasbeenundernegotiationfor10yearstobeginbuyingalotofRussiannaturalgas.RussianofficialssaidlastweekthattheyexpectthenegotiationstobecompletedbeforeRussianPresidentVladimirPutinvisitsChinainMay.ForMr.Putin,aChinadealwouldamounttoamultibillion-dollarstrategicsecurityblanket.IfEuropeannationstoRussia'swestdon'twanttobuyhisgasbecauseofhisannexationofCrimeaandintimidationofUkraine,nevermind.Hesoonwillhavealargemarketforhisgastotheeastasanalternate.AttheoutsetoftheUkrainecrisis,itseemedpossiblethatitsimpactonRussia'senergy-basedeconomymightbedifferent.Sen.JohnMcCainsaid,onlyhalfjokingly,thatRussiaisa'gasstationmasqueradingasacountry,'andthereforeshouldbeuniquelyvulnerabletosanctionsbecauseitseconomysitsonsuchanarrowandprecariousbase.Themasquerade,though,mayturnouttobeaprettygoodone.It'struethatRussiabadlyneedstherevenuefromenergysales--andmodestsanctionsappeartohavepromptedsomeoutflowofcapitalfromRussia--butMoscow'scustomersappeartofeelequallyvulnerable.InaninterviewwiththeWashingtonPost'sLallyWeymouthafewdaysago,Poland'sforeignminister,RadoslawSikorski,saidthat'today'sstrategiccommodityinEuropeisgas,andwetakeabout30%ofourgasfromRussia,asdoesEurope.ButweoverpaybecauseRussiahasmanagedtocreatemonopolisticarrangements.'Mr.SikorskiandhisPolishcolleaguesaremorehard-nosedthanmostabouttheRussians.HesaysRussianeedsPolishmoneymorethanPolandneedsRussiannaturalgas,andhecalledforanenergyunioninEuropetocreatesomemoresecurity.Buthealsosaidintheinterviewthateconomictiesare'whywearereluctanttoimposesanctionsonRussia.WewouldratherRussiastopdoingwhatisgivingrisetotheneedforsanctions.'Meanwhile,internationaloilcompaniesshowlittlesignofreconsideringtheirenergyarrangementswithRussia.Inrecentdays,executivesofRoyalDutchShell,BPandStatoilallhaveindicatedtheyarepushingaheadwith--andinsomecasesexpanding--projectstheyhavelaunchedtodevelopRussianoilandgas.BobDudley,BP'schiefexecutive,saidthatWesternsanctionswouldhavenoimpactonhiscompany'sbusinessandthathisfirmremains'rocksolidwithitsinvestmentinRussia.'BPhasa19.75%stakeinthestate-controlledRosneftoilcompany.Meanwhile,China'sleadersundoubtedlyaretornbetweenconflictingimpulsesoverRussia'sbehaviorinUkraine.Ononehand,China,fearfuloffermentamongethnicgroupsonvariouspointsalongitscountry'sborders,longhasbeenasticklerforrespectingterritorialintegrityandinternationallyrecognizedborders.Theideaofgivingindigenousgroupswithinasovereignstatetherighttociteculturalorethnicfactorsasarationaleforbreakingaway--thejustificationRussiausedtoseizeCrimea--can'tbeapleasingprecedentforChineseleaders.Ontheotherhand,ifRussiahasanewincentivetodiversifyitsenergycustomerbaseawayfromitstraditionalEur...