Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute: Soft and Hard Security Issues - A View from Russia
Article from: OGEL 2 (2009), in EU - Russia relations
Introduction
January 11 2009 - The almost usual gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine of January 2009 could not pass unnoticed. However, analysts often omit the whole geopolitical context, which has largely influenced the crisis and its outcomes. During the latest crisis, Russia used the gas trade as a pressure on political class of Ukraine. In turn, anti-Russian semantic became a political tool, which helps Kiev to get politically closer to Europe and NATO. The crisis of 2009 became a battle of self-image for both Russia and Ukraine in Europe. In turn, the Russia-Ukraine conflict further divides ...