Russian energy policy has been subject to such sustained criticism lately that it is hard to see what remains of the ‘strategic partnership’ that is supposed to characterise the Russian-European Union relationship. It is also difficult to remember that energy has only recently emerged as a problem. When we began planning to write a Chatham House Paper on Putin’s Russia and the Enlarged Europe a couple of years ago, energy was not one of the contentious topics that seemed essential to cover in such a book. By the time the manuscript was being completed, however, it was clear it could not be left out.
Russian Energy and the European Union: Gassy Issues
With the approach of colder weather in Europe there is new nervousness about energy supplies. Russian actions earlier this year created a climate of mistrust, but is the west guilty of hypocrisy? Could the new energy superpower pump its products east rather than west, or are there dangers in getting cosy with China?
