THE COMPLEXITY OF RUSSIAN SOCIETY AND AN INTERPRETATION OF THE RUSSIAN NATURAL GAS POLICY

Russia – a single unitary actor? Energy superpower? Hegemonic power?

Utilising energy for political gains?

Gas disputes: Russia-Ukraine Russia-Belarus

I argue that Russian natural gas policy is a combination of competing ideas/preferences of different groups in the country and in this competition the Russian state (as the main policy maker) is the ‘representative’ of several actors/groups who shape the state behaviour.

The President

Russian Academy of Sciences

Media

Public Opinio

n

Energy InstitutesGazprom

Independent Gas

Producers

Political/economic

elites

The Ministry

of Energy