North-West Russia as a gateway in Russian energy geopolitics

Abstract

This paper examines Russian energy development and plans and their geopolitical implications around the turn of the new millennium. Argumentation is founded on the interpretation of the impacts of stakeholders’ interests on geopolitics under new societal conditions and the legacy of past energy production and logistics. Empirical evidence consists of material from the projects of Russian companies and the plans and politics of the Russian Government for developing the energy sector.

The redefined borders and the geographical shifts of energy production have brought about the orientation of Russia’s energy development and interests towards the north. The former empire’s parts bordering on Russia in the west, Belarus and first of all Ukraine, have become problematic due to transit payment conflicts. Consequently, Russian companies develop ports in North-West Russia as well as plan the construction of new oil and gas pipelines through the Baltic Sea Region. On the other hand, the northern location of the infrastructure plans is a geographical necessity, in the way that new oil and gas deposits lie in northern high-latitude zones. Energy stakeholders’ market-oriented interests greatly influence the country’s economic orientation to the advanced economies and the global economy. Thus, Russia’s new energy geopolitics means economic integration and networking with partners (companies, nations and economic areas) that are able to co-operate successfully in
the economic sector. In all, the energy projects and plans in Russia are derived from these restructured, pragmatic and market-led economic interests, which have led to the growing significance of gateways in North-West Russia.