No nuclear worries

Czech politicians have been quiet on Russia's creeping takeover of the Czech nuclear-power sector. This is understandable from ČSSD, which is expecting another pre-election boost from Gazprom representative Gerhard Schröder. ODS's silence suggests that it has post-election plans for ČEZ that it doesn't want to talk about now. The U.S. wasn't bothered either by Westinghouse's loss to Tvel for a major Temelín contract. Amb. William Cabaniss told the Czech Council on Foreign Relations last night that it was a standard business deal and that the Russians won. He didn't repeat any of Dick Cheney's concerns about using energy as a tool for blackmail or intimidation. What is the U.S. to do? It can intervene, as Cheney did, in the case of unaligned Ukraine or Georgia. But if the EU and the CR want to let the Russians take over part of the Czech energy sector, they're on their own. [Czech Republic European Union United States nuclear fuel Schroeder]