The “European Energy Crisis: A Geopolitical Tug of War”

Abstract

This article fits into a larger debate on the changing nature of power in International Relations. It shows the strategic problems faced by European policymakers in evaluatingEurope'senergydependenceonRussiannaturalgasanditsimplicationsfor NATO relations. Economic power is increasingly used as a weapon, just like mercantilism and the trade wars of the 16th-18th century. This research carefully examines the diverse responses to the crisis, based on the economy and initiatives for energydiversification.ItmakesthecasethatEurope'sgeopoliticallocationisnaturally tiedtoitsenergysecurity.Moreover,itexaminesEurope'sescalatingenergydilemma, putting more focus on the geopolitical relationships between the EU, Russia, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This article seeks to show the strategic importance of Europe's energy dependence on Russian natural gas and how it has been affecting NATO relations, while highlighting the responses to the crisis that include specific economicmeasuresandeffortstowardsenergydiversification.Thisarticlealsocovers key details on policies, geopolitical shifts, power dynamics and other developments relatedtotheUkraineconflictfrom2022totheearlymonthsof2025.TheU.S.foreign policy change under President Donald Trump's leadership adds another layer of unpredictabilityaboutthefutureofglobalalliancesmorechallenging.Thisarticlewill help us study about changing landscape of global energy security and the strategic recalibrations of major actors in response to the war.