The United States and Russia have repeatedly traded accusations of the other side using oil and natural gas as geopolitical weapons, particularly as the bilateral relationship has grown increasingly tense (Neftegaz.ru, September 14). Nevertheless, when US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak met in Moscow last week (September 13), the two officials pointedly agreed to keep the lines of communication open, especially since the two powers play leading roles in the global energy market. Deputy Russian Prime Minister Anton Siluanov also notably joined the Moscow talks (Energy.gov, September 13; TASS, September 14).
