США І «ПІВНІЧНИЙ ПОТІК-2» У СУЧАСНІЙ ПОЛІТИЧНІЙ КАРИКАТУРІ

Abstract

The article describes the features of representation of the US policy as to the building of the North Stream-2 gas pipeline in modern political cartoons. The US position as to the project is looked in several contexts: the USA and Russian competition on the European and Ukrainian gas markets, a global confrontation between both countries; security of EU and NATO countries, especially Germany, from Russia's energy and political pressure. The following main arguments in the US administration rhetoric against the Nord Stream-2 are highlighted: the pipeline disintegrates the European Union; opposes the interests of the countries of Western and Eastern Europe; causes a split within the NATO countries; makes Germany an energy hostage of the Kremlin; causes the environmental risks; is an instrument of Russia's hybrid war against Western countries and Ukrainian. The author traces the diplomatic attempts are being made by the United States for preventing the building of Nord Stream-2, US' lobbing for amendments to the EU Gas Directive, the system of American sanctions against both Russia and Gazprom's European business partners.The analyzed political cartoons focus on the negative attitude of the United States to the Nord Stream-2 as an instrument of increasing Russia's political influence on European countries. They also demonstrate the threat of loss of energy independence by Germany. The cartoonists often explain the American opposition to the Nord Stream-2 project by the struggle of the US and Russia for European gas markets. The most frequent personages of the cartoons are the President of the USA Donald Trump, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The cartoons contain little symbolism, allegories, metaphors and do not need the searching of hidden contents. As usual, they are very straight, unambiguous in interpretation, clearly tied with the political context and current situation.