English abstract
The Russian Federation has the largest proved natural gas reserves in the world, with
38 trillion cubic meters worth of fossil fuel as of 2019. It is the second-largest natural
gas producer worldwide after the United States, and the majority of its gas production
is exported to Europe. Almost three-quarters of the EU's imports of natural gas came
from Russia (40%) in 2018. The domination of such vital energy sources like natural
gas might give Russia geopolitical leverage to further its geostrategic aims, promote
its foreign policy goals, and ensure its political influence over the importing countries.
This thesis aims to study the effect of Russia's Gas Policy on European Energy Security
in general and on Germany in particular. More to the point, it assesses a set of
questions: What is the role of the Russian giant Gazprom toward its foreign policy?
Why is the German Government still committed to the Nord Stream 2 project despite
criticism from other European countries and allies such as the United States? To what
extent does the reliance on Russian gas undermine Germany's Energy Security?
To investigate these questions, the thesis relies on a qualitative method, where the data
obtained for this investigation come from open-source online data, the BP Statistical
Review of World Energy, the European Commission, World Bank Reports and
previous studies. Also, statistical tables, graphs, diagrams, reports, books, articles,
publication, theses and dissertations are used as secondary sources of the data
necessary to support the quantitative approach.
This research shows that Russia has shown a willingness to abuse its dominant market
position in the furtherance of its foreign policy objectives, either in its immediate
neighborhood or further afield. As a result, Germany must diversify its energy
sources, its suppliers, and it must find alternative energy transport methods in order
to mitigate the effects of Russian gas policy on its energy security and strike a balance
between securing the country's natural gas needs and the transition plan. To
compensate for any shortages of Russian gas, further investment in liquefied natural
gas and green hydrogen energy will be essential.
