The political relationship between the isolated and energy-rich Central Asian country of Turkmenistan and Russia is looking very tense these days. The two countries historically have maintained close ties, but recent events have made it appear as if Ashgabat is abandoning its relationship with Moscow. However, looks can be deceiving. Turkmenistan and Russia exchange approximately 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually. However, when a natural gas pipeline running from Turkmenistan to Russia burst April 9, that transfer came to an abrupt halt, and relations between the two countries began to turn. According to news reports, Russia reduced its intake of the natural gas imports due to unusually mild spring temperatures and an overall drop in domestic demand and foreign exports as a result of the ongoing economic recession , but failed to tell its Turkmen supplier that it was taking in less natural gas.