Access to oil as a strategic resource can influence foreign policy outcomes, such as:

• A. Reduced importance of alliances.
• B. Isolation from global markets.
• C. Strengthened security commitments with partner nations and favorable trade terms.
• D. Unrelated to security considerations.

Answer: (C)

Access to oil as a strategic resource highlights how energy security shapes foreign policy. When a country depends on reliable oil supplies, it has a strong incentive to form and maintain alliances and to secure commitments that protect those supplies. This often includes security guarantees, defense cooperation, and agreements that ensure favorable trade terms, such as stable prices and reliable access to oil routes. Energy security creates incentives for states to collaborate with oil-rich partners and to invest in protections for shipping lanes and pipelines, which is why stronger security commitments and favorable terms are the most likely outcome. The other options clash with this logic: energy dependence tends to pull states closer together rather than push them apart, and oil security is deeply linked to security considerations rather than being unrelated.