When Russia's armed forces entered Georgia, they came menacingly close to the major transit routes for Caspian oil and gas, highlighting the frailty of previous Western efforts to by-pass Russia in fulfilling its energy needs. "We need bridges with Russia, not isolation," Mr Piebalgs said, while visiting in the former Soviet republic of Latvia. His views contrast with those of politicians in the United States and in eastern Europe who say the EU should cut its reliance on Russia in light of the conflict and of past disputes between Moscow and gas transit states such as Ukraine. Mr Piebalgs said the Georgian war had increased the urgency of developing the NordStream pipeline to carry Russian gas to Germany, despite the fact that Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia have criticized this project for eliminating them from the supply route. Mr Piebalgs also said it was crucial to remove roadblocks to building Nabucco. The $12-billion pipeline is planned to transport 30bn cum/yr of Caspian gas to an Austrian hub via Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. The issues yet to be resolved for this project, however, include securing sufficient gas volumes from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to make the project viable; securing a deal with Turkey to transport the gas through its networks; and improving the investment climate in Georgia.