Russia's Foreign Energy Policy: Resources, Actors, Conflicts

This book examines Russia's multidimensional foreign energy policy and the emerging and ongoing conflicts with energy-consuming and transit countries. It challenges the one-sided conventional wisdom that focusses on foreign policy ambitions and overlooks the peculiarities of the energy dimension. It highlights the complexity of contemporary energy affairs using a holistic approach that goes beyond geopolitics and considers various energy types and actors.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 31 August 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate and multifaceted realm of Russia's foreign energy policy, exploring the emerging and ongoing conflicts with energy-consuming and transit countries. It seeks to assess whether the interdependence patterns formed through various channels, such as foreign trade, investment, finance, technology, and social interactions, between Russia and energy-importing countries can mitigate the potential for energy-based conflicts.

Drawing on semi-structured expert interviews, Kenan Aslanli challenges the prevailing one-sided conventional wisdom that solely focuses on foreign policy ambitions and disregards the unique complexities of the energy dimension. Instead, Aslanli adopts a holistic approach that encompasses a wide range of factors, including geopolitics, to understand the intricacies of contemporary energy affairs. He examines various energy types, such as crude oil, natural gas, and nuclear, and considers a diverse array of actors, including energy companies and international organizations. Through illustrative examples from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Aslanli showcases how Russia's strategy of leveraging energy resources as a tool or weapon in its foreign policy endeavors often yields diminishing returns in the long run.

This book holds immense value for students and scholars engaged in the fields of energy policy, foreign policy, and Russian studies, offering valuable insights into the complex dynamics shaping Russia's energy relations and their broader geopolitical implications.

Weight: 730g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032528083