Managing the flows of gas and rules: Ukraine between the EU and Russia

The article explores the impact of the EU and Russia on domestic change in the gas sector in Ukraine. It seeks to identify the barriers to, and triggers for, Ukraine’s alignment with EU rules against the backdrop of Ukraine’s energy dependence on Russia by focusing on the institutionalization of energy relations. By studying the whole post-Soviet period, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the interplay of domestic and external factors shaping the energy sector in Ukraine and illuminates the often paradoxical effects of external influences on domestic actors’ preferences and strategies. We argue that EU influence was ineffective in overcoming domestic barriers to reforms and that it was Russia’s coercive actions that have led to the adoption of EU rules by Ukraine, despite powerful domestic vested interests and the weaknesses in EU’s policy.