Russia Eurasia And The New Geopolitics Of Energy

By combining perspectives from experts in domestic politics, regional politics, and specialists in international security, this edited volume focuses on the central role of energy production and supply in the Russian-Western completion across Eurasia.

The Sino-Russian relationship has experienced several permutations in recent decades, as both states have undergone radical domestic changes. This analysis of the new evolving relationship addresses global strategy, energy politics, national security, and Central Asian links.

In this groundbreaking book Kent E. Calder argues that a new transnational configuration is emerging in Asia, driven by economic growth, rising energy demand, and the erosion of longstanding geopolitical divisions. What Calder calls the New Silk Road—with a strengthening multi-faceted relationship between East Asia and the Middle East at its core—could eventually emerge as one of the world's most important multilateral configurations. Straddling the border between comparative politics and international relations theory, this important book will stimulate debate and discussion in both fields.

This work explores the geopolitical struggles that are currently underway in the newly independent states of the Caucasus region, showing how many players in the region are coalescing into two opposing blocs. The growing political, military and economic ties amongst the countries of these two blocs stem from a number of developments in the region, most notably the fall of the Soviet Union, and consequently the end of the Cold War and its bi-polar global alliance structure. These blocs are competing for influence in the region, and the rights to exploit and transport the rich energy resources that have been found in the Caspian Sea. The text shows how many actors have been willing to co-operate in other non-energy related issues, in the hope of receiving a financial reward when countries do decide on these matters.

Russia is the world's biggest hydrocarbon producer. China is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing energy markets. The two are neighbours. Yet their energy relationship is very thin. Instead, they compete for vast and largely unexplored Central Asian resources. As Kazakh oil and Turkmen gas start flowing to China, Russia's traditional dominance in the region is diminishing. However, the Central Asian states are not passive pawns in a new 'great game'. The EU and the US can help these countries to turn the new energy geopolitics to their advantage.

This book provides an original and thoroughly academic analysis of the link between Russian energy and foreign policies in Eurasia, as well as offering an interpretation of Russia’s coherence on the international stage, seeking to understand Russia and explain its behaviour. The authors analyse both energy and foreign policies together, in order to better grasp their correlation and gain deeper understanding of broader geopolitical issues in Eurasia at a time when things could go either way—towards producers or towards consumers. Questioning the concept of ‘energy deterrence’ which aims to fuel uncertainty in Russia’s relations with its partners, as well as projecting its overall power on the international scene, this provocative volume seeks to stimulate debate on this very important issue. Assessing the weight that energy has in Russia’s foreign policy and in its pursuit of power on the international stage, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of international relations, energy politics, geopolitics and Russian and Central Asian Studies.

This anthology provides insight and observations on the importance of the Eurasia region, including Russia and other countries of the former USSR. The articles that make up this work provide a detailed description of regional realities, including a contextual discussion of the current Ukraine situation, viewed through the prism of Russia's traditional military-strategic culture. As with all countries in the Eurasian region, Russia's traditional strategic interests play a critical role in the geopolitical and socio-cultural situation in that region. The anthology was created for the Army University Press, but goes beyond the obvious military strategic nexus and seeks to identify new spaces for consideration by planners and policymakers alike.

This path-breaking study attempts to define a new international dimension to energy policy that takes account of the dramatic political changes since the oil crises of the 1970s. This 'new geopolitics of energy' is creative rather than defensive, aligned to market-oriented development rather than state management. But governments have a role in promoting stable international conditions for trade and investment in energy, which in turn contribute to wider political stability; the development of more widely acceptable options for nuclear power; coordinated international action to mitigate the risks of climate change and other environmental impacts. This book is invaluable reading for executives and analysts in the energy business, and for strategic thinkers who believe that broader policies should in keeping with current energy trends.