Europe may have received the message. Today's New York Times had an article on East Europeans feeling a bit exposed now that Russia is patching relationship with US, and a number of European energy projects seem to be set to move ahead. Even Zbignew Brzezinski chimed in, comparing Russian gas today with yesterday's tanks! A bit dramatic, isn't it! Drama aside, Zbignew Brzezinski acknowledged with a stunning admission that Russia has successfully built impressive relationships with individual companies or countries. And that process resulted in moving energy projects ahead, even though EU officially did not bless them. This is how the "new Europe" was effectively sidelined. The article claims that the Nord Stream and South Stream are now realities. Given that Nabucco has been delayed for two years, and the Russian alternative is more cost effective, new partners are lining up. The reason Total wants in on South Stream is the fear that it would have to be buying gas from Germany, and its Nord Stream. At the same time, countries like Denmark are looking at the Nord Stream as a way to deal with the reduction in their own reserves, as well as the reserves in Norway. It made sense to really beg Europe to work with Russia. Now, when Russia finds new customers, there could be no acccusations of leaving them high and dry.