The Transformation of the Eurasian Gas Trade : Narratives of Profit and Power

Morena Skalamera's The Transformation of the Eurasian Gas Trade explores the logic, character, and scope of natural gas interdependence in Eurasia and its dramatic transformations since 1990. She explains how ideas, identities, and culture affect the Eurasian gas trade as gas interdependence has in some cases ameliorated conflict through its pacifying effects and at other times led to reactionary backlash, nationalist resentment, and more aggressive foreign policy. She argues that China's role in influencing domestic and international policy choices as a key trading and investment partner of the countries concerned makes it crucial for analyzing gas interdependence in the Eurasian region. Offering a deep, contextual analysis of how profit–power incentives intersect with historically-specific social, ideational and cultural factors, Skalamera reveals how reversals in the scale and scope of natural gas interdependence in the post-Soviet era can be better understood through domestically-driven shifts in dominant narratives.