Russia's Natural Gas: The Strategy and the State Behind It

Abstract

The deterioration of natural gas relations between Russia and its main transit corridor, Ukraine, has led to successive stoppages in the flow of natural gas to the European Union. In order to understand the drivers behind the breakdowns, this thesis will examine the geopolitical implications of natural gas trade, Russia’s external strategy for taking advantage of the commodity’s unique attributes, and the internal architecture of the Russian state that makes this strategy possible.