Changing approaches to security / Policy Brief
The battle for Ukraine's energy allegiance
23/09/2010 By Natalia Shapovalova
As the main route of Russian gas into Europe, Ukraine is vital to European and Russian energy security. While the EU seeks to secure gas supplies by integrating its eastern neighbour in its energy market, Russia is increasingly seeking to prevent EU-led reforms in Ukraine in order to secure stable gas export incomes and continue exerting power over its ‘sphere of privileged interest’.
Ukraine’s elite is not interested in reform, but maintaining the status quo is no longer viable. As the country is loosing its transit role and the economy is increasingly inefficient, Ukraine is presented with an ever-starker choice between the energy security guarantees of the EU and Russia.
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Keywords
Eastern Europe Energy Security Energy Supply EU European Neighbourhood PolicyRelated publications
- Energy security: Europe's new foreign policy challenge
- Europe and Russia, Beyond Energy
- Europe's energy policy: economics, ethics, geopolitics
- European Energy Security: balancing Priorities
- Oil companies and the EU' s external energy policies
- The politics of energy
- Ukraine: lynchpin for european energy security
Bio author: Natalia Shapovalova
Ukraine. Eastern Partnership. EU enlargement. Russia. Caucasus.
