From the moment that Vladimir Putin gained control over Gazprom, the Kremlin has been positioning Russia as an energy superpower — a country that can dictate terms to other countries thanks to its enormous amount of raw materials. That is strange.
In 2008, Russia extracted 640 billion cubic meters of natural gas, of which 550 bcm belonged to Gazprom. In the same year, the United States extracted 580 bcm. That is less than Russia but more than Gazprom. So why is Russia considered an energy superpower and the United States is not?
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