Publication

This brief discusses the shifting balance in the Russia-EU energy relationship. The causes of the shift include 1) Russia's annexation of Crimea, which spurred the February 2015 launch of a new European Energy Union; 2) Moscow finally throwing in the towel on its South Stream gas project, which was designed to crowd out other gas suppliers to Europe; and 3) energy security improvements across the EU, which have incrementally but inexorably adjusted the balance of power between Russia and its gas customers in the West.