EU-Russia Energy Relations in Context

The central focus of this special section is an analysis and critique of the dominantly geopolitical and realist explanation of EU-Russia energy relations. The articles all address, whether directly or indirectly, this central theme and offer a number of differing perspectives and approaches. The objective of this final concluding article is threefold; first, to set out the broader international developments in relation to global energy security that have contributed significantly to the tendency towards a geopolitical framing of EU-Russia energy relations; second, to draw out and integrate the various perspectives offered by the different articles in this special section and to highlight the main findings and conclusions; and third, to assess what implications there are for analysing and reconceptualising European and international energy security in the light of these findings and conclusions. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.