Russia’s Energy Diplomacy Toward European Union in the 21stcentury and Impact of Conflict in Ukraine

In the 21st century, the importance of energy as an important strategic resource in the international market has been rising. As a traditional energy export country, Russia's abundant fossil fuel resources are the foundation for its energy diplomacy. Energy issues play an important role in the relationship between Russia and the European Union, and the interdependence between Russia and the EU in the energy sector is strong. Russia and the European Union have made several achievements in the energy field, including establishing an energy dialogue and cooperation mechanism and building multiple energy transportation pipelines. However, there are still some conflicts and contradictions in energy cooperation between Russia and Europe. Ukraine, as a major transit country for Russia to transport energy to the European Union, has caused geopolitical conflicts that hinder energy cooperation between Russia and Europe. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has further worsened the energy relationship between Russia and the European Union. The EU has raised sanctions against Russia in the energy sector, and accordingly, Russia implemented counter-sanctions measures. In this situation, the EU is attempting to reduce its reliance on Russia’s energy by diversifying its energy resources, which puts the energy relationship between the two sides at risk of decoupling. Russia has begun to adjust its energy diplomacy strategy, shifting its focus from traditionally predominantly Western countries to the East.