EU–Russia energy cooperation: implications for Lithuania’s energy security

Abstract

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has significantly strained relations between Russia and the European Union (EU) in the energy sector leading to severe turmoil. This crisis has further jeopardized the energy security of EU member states, particularly smaller countries such as Lithuania, which heavily relies on Russia for its energy resources. Nevertheless, even before this crisis, Lithuania’s energy security was already deemed inadequate despite the relatively favorable state of EU–Russia energy cooperation. This research paper aims to analyze the EU–Russia energy cooperation before and during the war. It also explores the implications of the EU–Russia energy cooperation and the Russia–Ukraine war on Lithuania’s energy security. This article concludes that with the start of the Russia–Ukraine war, the EU–Russia energy relation is experiencing a severe crisis. Before and during the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, Lithuania—compared to Western European states—received different and unexpected treatment from the EU, impacting its energy security.