3 0 : JOHN JAY JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
GERMANY’S ECONOMIC DEPENDENCY: RUSSIAN SOFT POWER EXPANSION IN THE ENERGY SECTOR JESSICA GARLOCK
Abstract Germany’s increased dependency on Russian natural gas exports has jeopardized its international stability by opening it to political interference from Moscow. Russia has demonstrated its belief that strategic manipulation of its energy supply to the European Union can extend its soft power through Europe, furthering its nationalistic foreign policy goals. To that end, Germany, as the current strongest member of the EU, has threatened the Union at large by its dependency. In deepening its ties with Russia through the recent construction of new pipelines, Germany continues to concede its regional authority to the East. This gives Russia direct, exploitable control over the German energy supply and creates a disturbing divide between Germany and its anti-Russian ideological counterparts in NATO and the EU, which Russia will use to increase its soft power. ________________________________________
PATRICK HENRY COLLEGE
