Energy Weapons in Russia's geopolitical Strategy Cover Image

Енергетична зброя у геополітичній стратегії Росії
Energy Weapons in Russia's geopolitical Strategy

Author(s): O. M. Sukhodolya
Subject(s): Energy and Environmental Studies, Security and defense, Geopolitics, Peace and Conflict Studies
Published by: НІСД Національний інститут стратегічних досліджень
Keywords: energy supply as wapon; energy in Russia's geostrategy;
Summary/Abstract: Is energy an element of the national security system? Is energy used as a tool to achieve political goals? Were the causes of various "energy crises" in the post-Soviet space really purely economic? // Does Russia have a strategy to use energy weapons to realize its geopolitical ambitions? These questions have often been raised in the political, economic, and security discourses of various actors in world politics. For Western countries, they are rather a manifestation of curiosity and theoretical discussion about various possible developments in distant Eastern Europe. At the same time, for the countries of Eastern Europe themselves, the possible answers influenced the formation of policies and the consolidation of national security priorities. Moreover, the principal choice of the direction of integration processes was actually determined. // For Russia, on the other hand, energy has always been an instrument of politics, not economics. This position is clearly traced in the conceptual developments of scientists, strategic documents in the field of national security and practical actions of various institutions to implement the latter. For Russia, the use of energy weapons focused only on finding the most effective methods, tools and instruments for its use. // In recent decades, Russia has enriched the experience of using energy as a political weapon and formed new tools for its use in a hybrid confrontation with the West. Obviously, from now on this will become a constant source of risks to the stability of life in many countries around the world and will require constant monitoring of new types of threats generated by the use of energy weapons. The proposed study is aimed at understanding the conceptual foundations and organizational aspects of energy implementation in the system of ensuring the realization of Russia's national interests in the international arena.

  • Page Count: 129
  • Publication Year: 2020
  • Language: Ukrainian