Changing energy policies of the European Union in the context of the Russia–Ukraine War

Energy, which directly serves the principle of continuity in the modern world and has become a fundamental aspect of existence, holds great importance in the context of interstate relations and international organizations. The demand for energy resources has a direct impact on the strategic, political, and economic relations of countries. The European Union (EU), on the other hand, is one of the regions with the highest energy consumption worldwide. However, because energy production and energy reserves are insufficient to meet this demand,, the EU is dependent on foreign energy sources. Until recently, the Russian Federation's primary position in the EU's energy imports caused the Union to be directly affected by Russia's energy and foreign policies. In this respect, for the EU which sought to end its high energy dependence on Russia with the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine War, Union's the energy partners have become increasingly important due to their potential as both transit countries and an energy hubs. This study investigates the effects of the Russia-Ukraine War, which started in 2022, on the energy policies of the European Union. Considering the war as a turning point, the study examines the EU's energy policies before and after the conflict and focuses on the course and changes in energy relations with Russia, the main supplier, and Türkiye, the main transit country. After examining the changes in the EU's energy policies and relations with its energy partners due to the Russia-Ukraine War, the study discusses the future scenarios, analyzes the possible long-term course of the short-term reduced dependency in energy relations with Russia and the explores potential role Turkey can play as a transit country and energy hub in the EU's search for alternative suppliers.