Graduation Year

2020

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Russian and East European Studies

Reader 1

Professor Larissa Rudova

Reader 2

Professor David Andrews

Abstract

This paper looks at how recent confrontation, namely the Ukrainian Crisis in 2014, between the EU and Russia in regard to energy trade has led Russia to impose a strategy of divide-and-rule among EU member states in order to undermine EU-unity, through the spread of disinformation and the establishment of private trade agreements between the Russian Federation and individual EU states. The EU has achieved EU-wide ideological unity in the reprimand of Russian aggression, but, despite this unity, EU member states utilize complete national autonomy in determining substantive foreign and security policies that maintain economic reliance despite the sanctions’ restrictions. Former European Council President Donald Tusk’s proposal to initiate an Energy Union for the liberalization of the internal energy market, better EU interconnection, environmental sustainability and, most importantly, energy security, could act as a key system by which to liberalize and improve the EU-Russian energy narrative.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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