The concept of energy security in the russia - European Union relations: The crucial aspect of the blurred Russian foreign policy

The concept of "energy security" is the formula mostly emerged when the interdependence of Russian and European Union economies is pronounced. It does not only cause many disagreements in energy relations between Russia and the EU but also periodically, negatively affects the general background of the relationship between Russia and the European Union. Contradictions on energy issue over the agenda of EU-Russia summits, not leaving a time to discuss other important issues covering cooperation topics in other areas or that could strengthen the framework of "strategic partnership" between Russia and the EU. However, at the same time, energy has become of the most successful areas of Russia-EU cooperation. Russian energy supplies to the European Union have grown noticeably since Putin came to power in Russia. Russia became the largest exporter of natural gas, oil, uranium, and coal to the European domestic energy market, and also ranked third in terms of electricity supplier to the EU. In turn, a dependency of Russia on the European energy market has been significantly increased in the last decade. Although Russia and the EU depend on each other in energy relations, in overall Russia-EU energy relations have an asymmetrical character due to the unpredictable, blurred and multi-vectoral Russian foreign policy which is oriented towards realpolitik with recognition of interdependence and international economic integration. While EU tries to push Moscow toward its liberal axis and institutionalize energy demand security for its own sake, Russia mostly applies "realpolitik" in energy relations with the EU. Whereas the EU desire to apply its own liberal backed rules by the institutionalist structure/thinking, Russian geopolitical realism, which clearly based on the zero-sum game, protection of national interests and sovereignty stands against this contradictory approach of its main partner in the energy sector. Geopolitical realism, which forms the basis of Russian foreign policy directly undermines the interests of the EU and led to the many risks to energy demand security of the union. On the other hand, the EU's liberal approach to energy security contradictory to Russia poses a threat to the Russian sphere of influence in the geopolitical game which is played in Europe. In order to examine the Russian foreign energy policy actions, East and West directions of Russian blurred foreign policy have been analyzed regarding the period of the last decade. Meanwhile, it must be noted that Russia may use energy weapon anytime it feels a threat against its national interest, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. European member states have been acknowledging it especially after two main Ukrainian gas crises of 2006 and 2008 and realize that EU should revise its energy security strategy and should work on improvements in order to diversify energy supplies, which are already in hands of Russian energy companies. In this regard, the purpose of this thesis is to provide the well-established analyze on how Russian foreign policy affects energy security aspects of Russia-European Union energy relations? "What does the concept of energy security stand for in the relations between the EU and Russia?", and "Which theory of the international relations explains the relations between these two global actors in the light of "energy security" better?"