Ukrainian Energy Security Rationale in Times of Crisis: A Shift towards West and Energy Independence

The outbreak of the war with Russia in 2014 put an end to Ukraine’s maneuvering between western and eastern energy policy influences. Faced with the loss of the Donbas coal region and cheap Russian gas, the country revised and shifted its energy policy approach stronger towards its European partners. As a result, the electricity and gas market reforms aimed at deeper integration of Ukraine with the Energy Community accelerated and its domestic energy policy refocused on better energy efficiency measures, big projects in renewables and further expansion of the nuclear power plants program. However, Ukraine’s struggle to regain a sense of energy security via greater integration with the EC, more sustainable energy solutions and counteracting Russian influence is not an easy one. Increased gas prices give rise to the political populism, the local NGO sector is concerned that the planned RES auction system does not notice the small players, whereas the unstable geopolitical situation puts a strain on the domestic investments and energy sector reforms. This paper looks at how current Ukraine’s energy security rationale that became synonymous with energy independence at all costs affects the domestic energy policy choices and its strategic relations with the EC and EU.