On July 11, GMF’s Berlin office and the Heinrich Böll Foundation co-hosted a workshop entitled “Russia and the West: Energy and Security Policy at the G8 Summit.” A group of 30 participants, including representatives from various federal ministries, the think tank community, environmental NGOs, and journalists reflected on Russia’s positions and expectations in the fields of foreign and energy policy before the upcoming G8 summit in St. Petersburg. Their discussion mainly focused on Russia’s determination for success, the G8 summit’s ability to be a forum for Russia to discuss global politics, and global energy security.

The discussion concluded that Russia is determined to make the upcoming summit a success as this will be the first time Russia chairs a G8 conference, which presents Russia with a unique opportunity to enhance the country’s standing within the G8 circle.

The upcoming summit will also provide a forum for Russia to discuss global politics. Participants said that Russia’s current position should not be ignored and that there is a need to harmonize the transatlantic approach concerning Russia, Europe, and the United States. Russia’s foreign policy has become increasingly assertive in the recent past; while it is often characterized by aggressive rhetoric, its aims are mostly pragmatic, some participants said. President Putin is determined to establish Russia as an indispensable and independent power in the international arena.

Consequently, some discussants said, putting global energy security on top of the agenda for the upcoming summit was a wise choice as Western dependency on Russian energy imports is an important leverage. However, Russian energy exports have not only led to a high level of interdependence between Russia and the West but also to new sources of potentially explosive conflict. Russia’s gas war with the Ukraine and the growing ambitions of Gazprom have severely damaged Russia’s reputation as a stable supplier of energy, and Western countries are becoming increasingly distrustful of Russia’s course. Against this background, some said, the upcoming summit could be a first step toward establishing a reliable system of energy supply, demand, and governance from which both sides, Russia and the West, could profit.

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Fyodor Lukyanow, editor of "Russia in Global Affairs," contributed this piece to the discussion.