Analysis: The security implications of Russian Energy policies

The West should pressure Russia to adhere to the Energy Charter, argues Keith C. Smith, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Relations in Washington DC.

This policy brief was published by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), which highlights the following key points:

• The recent ‘gas war’ between Ukraine and Russia does not reflect a policy change in Moscow. Russia has used its energy power in an attempt to influence the foreign and security policies of its neighbours since 1990.
• The European Union and the United States have been slow to recognise that the energy policies of the Kremlin are a danger to Europe and particularly to the independence of the Central Europeans. These policies are also not in the long-term interest of Russia itself. 
• The West should pressure Russia to adhere to the Energy Charter and to World Trade Organisation principles by making its energy policies and actions more transparent and based on competitive business practices
• Ukraine should respond to Russian pressure by developing a crash programme of energy efficiency and by increasing domestic production of gas and oil by creating a welcoming and transparent environment for foreign investors.

Click here to download the full paper