Are the Route Servers Viable Solutions That Are Being Held Hostage?

I am confused - hope I am not the only one.

A well respected member of the IETF wrote privately to me:

Gordon,
        what do you think the RR is for?

it is a database - why would it have any impact on *if* and under what
conditions provider A would want to talk to provider B at a NAP?

the NAP rules are *specifically* that peer-to-peer agreements are
required, that is one of the reasons the NAPs are level 2 system