Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals (Dec 2009)
Russian gas and european energy security: Interdependence following the crisis with Georgia and the Ukraine
Abstract
At the present time, gas represents one of the main energy raw materials that are used for producing electricity and other private uses. The dual political conflict between the Ukraine and the Russian Federation (winter 2005 and Christmas 2008 and 2009) has highlighted the EU’s position of structural weaknesses both in terms of the supply of its raw materials and as regards possible alternatives to Russia as an energy supplier. The European countries worst hit by Russian-Ukrainian tensions have been those with the greatest dependence on Russian gas. This crisis scenario has led governments to promote a common European energy policy with the aim of, in the future, being in a stronger position than Europe’s current one when negotiating with both Russia and all the other suppliers of energy sources. The article attempts to develop and analyse what has happened since 2005 between the two crises (also with particular references to the recent conflicts between Georgia and Russia in August 2008). The authors begin by analysing the main theoretical framework with respect to interdependence. They then go on to analyse the events, identifying and delimiting the movements of the actors so as to be able to understand both the present situation and the foreseeable consequences of same. In the last part, the authors attempt to analyse the different theoretical frameworks delimited at the beginning of the research by comparing them with the events that have taken place.
