The Role of Energy in Russian Foreign Policy Course

Course Philosophy

Course Development Philosophy

The course is designed according to Martin Zubko’s teaching philosophy, expressed in the principle that:
“A supreme principle of teaching is to ignite curiosity that leads to purposeful research, resulting in discoveries that bring meaning.” 

This approach informs the course structure, where intellectual curiosity serves as the starting point for research-driven learning. Through engagement with theoretical debates and independent investigation, students are encouraged to develop original insights and contribute to deeper understanding of international politics. 

“With each course, my aim has been to develop a research-driven intellectual workshop in which teaching is built around two complementary dimensions: mentoring and coaching. I recognise the limitations of my own knowledge in comparison with the expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence systems; however, the central purpose of my work lies elsewhere — in cultivating individuals who can navigate a complex and often chaotic information environment shaped by truth, misinformation, and partial truths.

The essential task is to develop students’ capacity for independent judgement: the ability to critically evaluate information, formulate meaningful questions, and produce rigorous analysis. Their own intellectual curiosity and judgement remain the primary sources of inquiry, enabling them to discover new perspectives, identify emerging patterns, and contribute original insights to the understanding of complex phenomena.”
— Martin Zubko

Core Principles

Three core principles guide this curriculum:

1. Energy as a Component of Russian Statecraft – Energy is central to understanding Russian foreign policy; it is never merely commercial or technical. Hydrocarbons, energy infrastructure, and nuclear technology have functioned as important sources of state capacity, instruments of external influence, and mechanisms of strategic partnership-building. Energy revenues have contributed to fiscal capacity and state resilience, while pipelines, energy exports, and technological cooperation have provided Moscow with tools for managing relationships across the post-Soviet space, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. This course therefore treats energy as a strategic domain in which domestic political economy, international markets, and geopolitical competition intersect.

2. Analytical Pluralism – No single theoretical framework fully explains the relationship between energy and Russian foreign policy. Petrostate approaches, rentier state theory, weaponised interdependence, energy security perspectives, coercion frameworks, and dependency approaches each illuminate different aspects of Russian energy statecraft and each carries its own analytical limitations. The course therefore treats these perspectives as complementary and competing analytical tools. Students will examine how different frameworks explain Russian behaviour, where they succeed, and where they fail to account for empirical complexity.

3. Rigour Without Caricature – Russian energy foreign policy is frequently subject to analytical simplification. It is often presented as either a pure instrument of geopolitical power or as ordinary market-driven economic behaviour. This course rejects both simplifications. Instead, it examines Russian energy policy through sustained engagement with empirical evidence, institutional dynamics, structural constraints, and the strategic choices available to policymakers. The objective is to understand how energy capabilities are translated into foreign policy outcomes, rather than to confirm or reject any predetermined interpretation.

Understanding Russian foreign policy after the collapse of the Soviet Union requires sustained attention to the role of energy. Oil, natural gas, nuclear technology, and energy infrastructure have shaped Russia’s economic model, domestic political institutions, external relationships, and strategic choices.

This course examines the evolution of Russian energy statecraft from the Soviet period through the post-1991 transformation and into the contemporary era. It explores the emergence of energy as a foundation of post-Soviet state reconstruction, the consolidation of state influence over strategic energy sectors under Vladimir Putin, the role of pipelines and energy exports in relations with Europe and the post-Soviet space, Russia’s reorientation towards Asian markets, and the expansion of nuclear diplomacy through state-owned enterprises such as Rosatom.

The course also examines the constraints affecting the future of Russian energy power, including Western sanctions since 2014 and their expansion after 2022, technological dependencies, changing global energy markets, the energy transition, Arctic development challenges, critical minerals competition, and the long-term sustainability of Russia’s state-centred energy governance model.

Course Content Structure

This 12-week course is organised around a multi-level analytical framework that moves from foundational questions of explanation and evidence to domestic, ideational, technological, and systemic dimensions of Russian energy statecraft. The final modules integrate these perspectives by examining how energy-driven foreign policy can be systematically analysed, compared, and evaluated.

MODULE I: Foundations of Russian Energy Power

Week 1: Why has energy become central to Russian foreign policy?

Week 2: Can energy sustain Russia’s great power status?

MODULE II: Instruments of Russian Energy Statecraft

Week 3: Are energy infrastructures instruments of geopolitical influence?

Week 4: How do energy crises and coercion shape Russia–Europe relations?

MODULE III: Regional Energy Diplomacy

Week 5: Can Russia pivot east through energy diplomacy?

Week 6: Is nuclear energy a geopolitical instrument?

Week 7: How has Russia used energy to maintain influence in the post-Soviet space?

MODULE IV: Sanctions, Constraints, and Strategic Adaptation

Week 8: Can sanctions weaken Russian energy power?

Week 9: Can Russia sustain resource power beyond hydrocarbons?

MODULE V: Global Diplomacy and Geopolitical Futures

Week 10: Can energy diplomacy expand Russia’s global influence?

Week 11: Will the global energy transition weaken Russian geopolitical influence?

Week 12: What will Russian energy power look like in 2050?

Integrated Learning Stages

Each week of this 12-week course is organised around three integrated learning stages designed to develop theoretical understanding, analytical capability, and critical reflection.

1. Preparation: Engaging with Core Concepts and Evidence
   Before each session, students engage with assigned readings, policy documents, and empirical materials to develop familiarity with key concepts, analytical frameworks, and major debates. Preparation provides the foundation for informed discussion and critical evaluation.

2. Discussion-Based Lecture: Applying Theory to Empirical Cases
   Class sessions combine theoretical engagement with structured discussion. Lectures are not one-way knowledge transmission. They encourage students to examine competing perspectives, apply analytical frameworks to empirical cases, and assess alternative explanations through guided debate.

3. Research Lab: Developing Analytical Skills Through Inquiry
   The research lab provides practical training in analytical methods. Students work with empirical evidence, conduct comparative analysis, develop actor maps, evaluate causal arguments, and engage with reflexive questions concerning assumptions, limitations, and perspectives shaping their analyses.

Foundational Texts

• Balmaceda, Margarita M. 2021. Russian Energy Chains: The Remaking of Technopolitics from Siberia to Ukraine to the European Union. New York: Columbia University Press.

• Perović, Jeronim. 2024. Fuel and Power: Energy, Trade, and Russian Foreign Relations from Lenin to Putin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Porter, Jillian, and Maya Vinokour, eds. 2023. Energy Culture: Work, Power, and Waste in Russia and the Soviet Union. Springer.

• Shiraev, Eric. 2026. Russian Foreign Policy. 2nd ed. Bloomsbury Publishing.

• Shiraev, Eric. 2025. Russian Government and Politics. 4th ed. Bloomsbury Academic.

• Syngellakis, Stavros, and C. A. Brebbia, eds. 2018. Challenges and Solutions in the Russian Energy Sector. Springer.

• Tsygankov, Andrei P. 2025. Russia’s Foreign Policy: Change and Continuity. 7th ed. Bloomsbury Academic.

• Tynkkynen, Veli-Pekka. 2019. The Energy of Russia: Hydrocarbon Culture and Climate Change. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Research articles do not appear in the bibliography above. This is intentional. Each week, students are expected to identify a peer-reviewed article relevant to that week’s topic, bring it to the seminar, and share it with the group. The lecturer contributes selections alongside the class. This practice develops independent literature-searching habits, exposes the seminar to a wider range of scholarly perspectives than any fixed reading list could provide, and keeps the course in sustained contact with current debates in the field.

Learning Outcomes

1. Apply and critically evaluate theoretical frameworks for analysing energy and foreign policy: Explain and assess major analytical approaches, including petrostate models, rentier state theory, weaponised interdependence, energy coercion frameworks, and dependency theory. Students will apply these perspectives to cases of Russian energy statecraft and identify what each approach explains well, where it falls short, and what assumptions it rests on.

2. Analyse Russian energy power across strategic and regional contexts: Evaluate how hydrocarbons, nuclear technology, energy infrastructure, and critical minerals contribute to Russian foreign policy objectives and external behaviour across Europe, the post-Soviet space, China and Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Students will also assess the structural constraints shaping Russian adaptation, including sanctions, technological dependencies, corporate governance challenges, and the global energy transition.

3. Interpret primary sources and construct evidence-based analyses: Critically examine policy documents, energy data, strategic frameworks, and corporate practices to assess Russian energy policy. Students will develop independent analytical arguments grounded in theoretical and empirical evidence, without uncritically accepting Russian strategic narratives or falling into simplistic ideological interpretations.

4. Develop strategic assessments and scenario-based foresight: Produce professional analytical assessments of Russian energy policy under conditions of uncertainty. Students will develop scenario-based evaluations of Russia’s future strategic options by considering geopolitical, technological, economic, and structural factors shaping the evolution of Russian energy power.

Assessment

Graded Assessment Components

Assessment 1: Strategic Analysis (35% | 2,500 words)
Select an approved case of Russian energy statecraft (a specific episode, bilateral relationship, or policy instrument). Produce a focused strategic analysis that:  

• establishes the empirical foundations  

• identifies key actors and interests  

• applies at least two theoretical frameworks from the course  

• evaluates the effectiveness and limitations of Russian energy leverage

Conclude with a reflexive assessment of how the case appears from the perspective of affected states.  

Submission Deadline: End of Week 7.

Assessment 2: Capstone Research Essay (55% | 5,000–6,000 words)
Develop an original analytical argument on the role of energy in Russian foreign policy. Select a substantive research question and engage critically with theory, empirical evidence, and primary sources. Apply an appropriate analytical framework, evaluate constraints and strategic consequences, and demonstrate awareness of alternative explanations.  

Submission Deadline: Sunday of Week 14 (Formal Assessment Period, following the conclusion of Week 12 teaching).

Assessment 3: Participation and Analytical Engagement (10% | Ongoing)
Participation is assessed throughout the semester based on the quality of students’ engagement with the analytical objectives of the course. Assessment considers contributions to Discussion-Based Lectures and Research Labs. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical concepts to empirical cases, engage critically with different interpretations, use evidence effectively, and respond constructively to alternative arguments. Attendance is required. Marks are awarded for the quality of intellectual engagement.

Grading Scale (%) and Performance Standards

• 80–100: Exceptional
  Outstanding analytical ability, originality, and intellectual independence. The work develops a sophisticated, tightly integrated argument that combines theory, evidence, and method with exceptional precision. It critically evaluates competing explanations, exposes underlying assumptions and limitations, and produces insights that approach professional analytical standards.

• 70–79: Excellent
  Advanced analytical skills and strong theoretical understanding. The work presents a clear, well-supported argument and engages critically with relevant debates and alternative explanations. Minor limitations may remain in originality, depth, or full integration of perspectives.

• 60–69: Good
  Solid command of key concepts, literature, and analytical approaches. Theories are applied appropriately and the argument is coherent. Limitations typically appear in originality, critical depth, methodological sophistication, or engagement with competing interpretations.

• 50–59: Satisfactory
  Adequate understanding of core concepts and empirical material. The work engages with the course content but remains largely descriptive or summary-based, with limited analytical depth, theoretical application, or critical evaluation.

• 40–49: Marginal Pass
  Basic understanding of course requirements is present, but analysis is underdeveloped, heavily descriptive, and insufficiently supported by evidence or theoretical reasoning.

• Below 40: Fail
  Does not demonstrate sufficient understanding of key concepts, analytical approaches, or evidence. The work lacks a coherent argument and fails to meet minimum academic standards.

Submission, Formatting Requirements and Academic Integrity

• All written work must be submitted as a PDF file.

• Use 12-point Aptos or Arial font. Number all pages. On the first page include your name, student number, course name, assignment title, and word count. A separate cover page is not required.

• The stated word count is a guide. Stay within 10% above or below it. The word count includes the main text and in-text citations, but excludes the reference list, tables, figures, and appendices.

• Use the Chicago Author-Date citation style throughout. Examples: (Yergin 2020) or Yergin (2020) argues that… For direct quotations include the page number: (Yergin 2020, 47). Place the reference list at the end, organised alphabetically by surname. Footnotes may be used sparingly for substantive clarifications only; do not use them for routine citations.

• Formal policies regarding academic integrity and the use of AI tools vary by institution and will apply in full. Beyond these formal requirements lies a deeper educational principle: the purpose of assessment is not merely to demonstrate completion of tasks, but to develop genuine understanding, analytical capability, and intellectual independence. A qualification represents not only the work submitted, but the knowledge and skills that work is designed to cultivate. This course is built on meaningful engagement with scholarship, practitioners, and professional perspectives that extend beyond the formal syllabus. The value students gain depends on a shared commitment to curiosity, preparation, critical thinking, and responsible academic practice.

Detailed Module Descriptions

MODULE I: Foundations of Russian Energy Power

Week 1: Why has energy become central to Russian foreign policy?

Core Question
How did energy develop from an economic asset into a central instrument of Russian state power and foreign policy?

Preparation
This session examines the historical transformation of Russian energy from the Soviet industrial system to the post-Soviet political economy of privatisation, oligarchic ownership, and state consolidation under Putin. It introduces the concepts of resource nationalism, rentier state theory, petrostate politics, and energy statecraft to analyse how resource advantages can be converted into political influence.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture explores the relationship between energy resources, state reconstruction, and foreign policy power. It analyses the restoration of state control over strategic assets, particularly through the Yukos case, and evaluates competing explanations of Russian energy power: whether it represents effective geopolitical leverage, a vulnerability created by resource dependence, or a conditional form of influence shaped by institutions and international markets.

Research Lab
Students map Russia’s principal energy relationships, export infrastructure, and economic dependencies to assess where energy creates strategic leverage and where political, market, or technological constraints limit its effectiveness. The Yukos case is used to examine the relationship between domestic control of energy assets and international influence.

Week 2: Can energy sustain Russia’s great power status?

Core Question
To what extent have hydrocarbons enabled Russian geopolitical ambitions, and where do the structural limits of energy power emerge?

Preparation
This session examines the relationship between energy revenues, state capacity, and foreign policy activism. It considers the role of hydrocarbon rents in fiscal stability, military spending, and political consolidation, while analysing the vulnerabilities associated with dependence on commodity exports, technological constraints, and limited economic diversification.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture evaluates whether Russia represents a successful petrostate or a resource-dependent power facing structural limitations. It examines how energy revenues supported Russia’s recovery and international assertiveness after 2000, while questioning whether economic strength derived from hydrocarbons can be sustained under conditions of price volatility, sanctions, and changing global energy markets.

Research Lab
Students analyse the relationship between energy revenues and Russian foreign policy behaviour from 2000 to 2024. Using revenue data, political events, and corporate developments, they evaluate whether the evidence supports a petrostate explanation or requires a broader understanding of institutions, strategic choices, and geopolitical competition.

MODULE II: Instruments of Russian Energy Statecraft

Week 3: Are energy infrastructures instruments of geopolitical influence?

Core Question
How have pipelines and energy infrastructure functioned as instruments of Russian geopolitical influence, and what does their disruption reveal about the future of energy statecraft?

Preparation
This session examines pipeline politics, transit dependence, and infrastructure as a source of strategic influence. It focuses on Russia’s European gas networks, including Nord Stream, TurkStream, and Arctic LNG development, while considering how sanctions, technological restrictions, and infrastructure disruption have altered Russia’s options.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture analyses energy infrastructure as a form of geopolitical architecture that creates long-term dependencies between producers and consumers. It examines the strategic logic behind Russian pipeline expansion, the political significance of Nord Stream, and the consequences of its destruction in 2022. The session evaluates whether infrastructure remains a durable source of influence or whether diversification and technological change have reduced its strategic value.

Research Lab
Students map Russia’s major pipeline and LNG systems and assess their geopolitical significance. The exercise evaluates how infrastructure creates leverage, where dependencies remain, and what strategic options Russia possesses for replacing lost European energy relationships.

Week 4: How do energy crises and coercion shape Russia–Europe relations?

Core Question
When has Russian energy coercion succeeded or failed, and what does this reveal about the limits of energy as a geopolitical weapon?

Preparation
This session examines energy coercion through the cases of Russia–Ukraine gas disputes, European dependence, and the 2021–2022 supply crisis. It introduces debates on economic coercion, interdependence, and the conditions under which energy dependence can be converted into political influence.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture analyses Russian attempts to use energy supply as a tool of political pressure against European states. It compares the effectiveness of earlier gas disputes with the limited success of the 2022 energy strategy, demonstrating how coercion depends on market conditions, institutional responses, and the ability of targets to adapt.

Research Lab
Students analyse a specific episode of Russian energy coercion and evaluate strategic objectives, instruments used, responses by affected states, and the role of European institutions. The exercise assesses whether energy remains a reliable instrument of political influence or has become a declining source of leverage.

MODULE III: Regional Energy Diplomacy

Week 5: Can Russia pivot east through energy diplomacy?

Core Question
To what extent can Russia’s eastern energy pivot compensate for the loss of European markets, and does growing dependence on China create a new strategic vulnerability?

Preparation
This session examines Russia’s energy reorientation towards Asia through oil, gas, and LNG exports. It focuses on Russia–China energy relations, the Power of Siberia pipeline, India’s post-2022 imports of discounted Russian crude, and the limits created by infrastructure constraints, sanctions, and unequal bargaining power.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture analyses whether the eastern pivot represents a genuine strategic reorientation or an adaptation driven by the loss of European markets. It examines the asymmetry of Russia–China energy relations, where Russia gains market access while China increasingly determines commercial terms. The session evaluates whether diversification strengthens Russian autonomy or creates a new form of dependence on Asian consumers.

Research Lab
Students assess Russia’s energy relationships with China and India through export data, infrastructure projects, and diplomatic agreements. The exercise evaluates competing interests, sources of leverage, and whether the eastern pivot provides Russia with strategic flexibility or reinforces its dependence on larger markets.

Week 6: Is nuclear energy a geopolitical instrument?

Core Question
How does Russia use nuclear exports as a long-term instrument of influence, and what limits its effectiveness in a more competitive global market?

Preparation
This session examines the international role of Rosatom and the political economy of nuclear exports. It considers how reactor construction, financing arrangements, fuel supply, and technical cooperation create long-term relationships between Russia and client states.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture explores nuclear energy as a distinct form of statecraft based on long-term institutional and technological dependence rather than immediate market power. It examines Russian projects in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, while analysing competition from Chinese, South Korean, and Western suppliers. The session considers whether Rosatom represents a durable source of influence or a sector increasingly constrained by geopolitical competition and sanctions.

Research Lab
Students analyse a selected Rosatom project, such as Paks II in Hungary, Akkuyu in Turkey, or projects in Egypt and Africa. The exercise evaluates the strategic interests of both sides, the dependencies created, domestic political considerations, and the prospects for competing suppliers to challenge Russian influence.

Week 7: How has Russia used energy to maintain influence in the post-Soviet space?

Core Question
How has Russian energy statecraft shaped influence in the post-Soviet region, and how far has that influence survived the strategic changes after 2022?

Preparation
This session examines energy as a mechanism of regional influence through subsidised supply, infrastructure control, transit relationships, and selective coercion. It focuses on Belarus, Ukraine, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus as different models of Russian energy engagement and competition.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture analyses the post-Soviet space as the historical core of Russian energy statecraft. It examines how Moscow used energy relationships to maintain political influence, while also considering the erosion of that leverage through diversification, Chinese investment, alternative pipelines, and geopolitical realignment after 2022. The session highlights the difference between dependence created by energy ties and actual political control.

Research Lab
Students analyse Russian energy influence in a selected post-Soviet state by mapping supply relationships, infrastructure networks, political agreements, and competing external actors. The exercise evaluates how Russian leverage has changed and what alternatives have emerged.

MODULE IV: Sanctions, Constraints, and Strategic Adaptation

Week 8: Can sanctions weaken Russian energy power?

Core Question
What have Western energy sanctions achieved, and what do their limitations reveal about the difficulty of constraining a major resource producer?

Preparation
This session examines the development of Western sanctions on Russian energy after 2014 and especially after 2022. It focuses on technology restrictions, the G7 oil price cap, LNG sanctions, export redirection, alternative financial mechanisms, and Russia’s adaptation strategies.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture evaluates sanctions as a form of economic statecraft designed to reduce Russia’s energy revenues and constrain future production capacity. It considers the distinction between short-term resilience and long-term vulnerability, examining how Russia has maintained exports through new markets, discounted sales, and logistical adaptation while facing growing technological and investment constraints.

Research Lab
Students conduct a policy simulation from either a Western sanctions-planning perspective or a Russian strategic adaptation perspective. The exercise evaluates sanctions design, enforcement challenges, Russian countermeasures, and the conditions under which energy sanctions become strategically effective.

Week 9: Can Russia sustain resource power beyond hydrocarbons?

Core Question
Can Russia sustain its geopolitical influence through energy assets beyond oil and gas, and what constraints shape this broader resource strategy?

Preparation
This session examines the wider foundations of Russian resource power beyond conventional hydrocarbons. It considers Arctic energy development, critical minerals, industrial capabilities, and the governance challenges affecting major state energy companies. Particular attention is given to technological dependence, sanctions constraints, and the long-term sustainability of Russia’s resource model.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture evaluates whether Russia’s energy power extends beyond oil and gas into a broader strategy based on Arctic resources, mineral wealth, and strategic industries. It examines the potential significance of resources such as nickel, palladium, and other critical materials while analysing the technological and institutional limitations that restrict their geopolitical value. The session considers whether Russia’s resource advantages represent a durable source of influence or whether governance weaknesses and external constraints limit their strategic potential.

Research Lab
Students assess the long-term sustainability of Russian energy power through selected cases, including Arctic LNG development, critical mineral exports, and the performance of major state-controlled companies. The exercise evaluates which assets could sustain Russian influence over the next two decades and which face structural limitations.

MODULE V: Global Diplomacy and Geopolitical Futures

Week 10: Can energy diplomacy expand Russia’s global influence?

Core Question
How far does Russian energy diplomacy create durable global influence, and what limits its ability to shape a changing international order?

Preparation
This session examines Russian energy diplomacy beyond its traditional European focus through OPEC Plus cooperation, relations with India and China, and engagement with African and Middle Eastern states. It explores how Moscow uses energy relationships to support broader diplomatic objectives and promote a vision of a multipolar international system.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture analyses energy diplomacy as a tool of coalition-building and international positioning. It examines Russia’s role in global oil coordination, particularly through OPEC Plus, and evaluates the political significance of expanding energy ties with non-Western partners. The session considers whether these relationships represent genuine strategic partnerships or primarily pragmatic arrangements shaped by market interests and competing national priorities.

Research Lab
Students participate in a strategic negotiation exercise involving Russia, major energy producers, emerging markets, and Western governments. The simulation examines competing interests in global energy governance, production management, sanctions, and market access, requiring participants to assess the possibilities and limits of Russian energy diplomacy.

Week 11: Will the global energy transition weaken Russian geopolitical influence?

Core Question
How will decarbonisation reshape Russia’s energy power, and what strategies can Moscow pursue to adapt to structural change?

Preparation
This session examines the geopolitical implications of the global energy transition for hydrocarbon-dependent states. It focuses on changing demand patterns, European decarbonisation policies, Russian adaptation strategies, critical minerals, hydrogen ambitions, and the uneven pace of global transition.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The lecture evaluates whether the energy transition represents a fundamental challenge to Russia’s geopolitical model. It examines competing scenarios in which hydrocarbons remain strategically important for decades or decline more rapidly due to technological change and climate policy. The session considers whether Russia can successfully diversify into new energy sectors or whether institutional and technological constraints will limit adaptation.

Research Lab
Students continue the strategic simulation under conditions of accelerated energy transition. They evaluate how changing markets, climate policies, and technological competition affect Russian influence and assess whether adaptation strategies provide a realistic pathway for maintaining geopolitical relevance.

Week 12: What will Russian energy power look like in 2050?

Core Question
What future trajectories are possible for Russian energy foreign policy by 2050, and which variables will determine whether Russia adapts or declines?

Preparation
This session examines long-term scenarios for Russian energy power, focusing on Asian market dependence, Arctic development, technological transformation, artificial intelligence, global energy demand, and geopolitical competition. It considers uncertainty in transition pathways and the strategic choices available to Moscow.

Discussion-Based Lecture
The final lecture synthesises the course’s central debates by examining alternative futures for Russian energy statecraft. It considers scenarios of continued relevance based on Asian demand, Arctic expansion, and resource adaptation, alongside scenarios of declining influence caused by technological isolation, reduced hydrocarbon demand, and economic stagnation. The session evaluates which domestic and international factors are most likely to determine Russia’s future strategic position.

Research Lab
Students construct two contrasting scenarios for Russian energy diplomacy in 2050: one based on successful adaptation and continued geopolitical relevance, and another based on structural decline and reduced international influence. Each scenario identifies key drivers, uncertainties, and strategic implications, followed by critical evaluation in seminar discussion.

Office Hours and Consultation 

I welcome students to discuss course material, assessment questions, research ideas, or analytical challenges during consultation hours. To ensure that all requests are received and can be scheduled appropriately, please use the contact form provided for booking consultations.

I will respond with available times and confirmation of the meeting arrangement.

*** This course is designed to be adaptable across different higher education contexts. The weekly structure, assessment components, and reading requirements can be adjusted to meet the needs of particular institutions, programmes, or individual teaching contexts, and can be scaled appropriately for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. While the course’s analytical framework and intellectual objectives remain consistent, the structure presented here should be understood as a flexible model rather than a fixed template.

Updated – June 2026

I have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and coherence of this course design, but if you identify any errors, omissions, or areas for improvement, I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Academic work is always strengthened through careful review and constructive engagement. Additionally, if you are aware of any outstanding publications that could further enrich the course, I would welcome your recommendations.

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