Escaping the curse of cheap Russian gas – what we can learn from Poland and Lithuania

Verden til forskel - DIIS podcast

When the war in Ukraine began and Russia started using its gas pipelines for blackmail Western countries were caught off guard. At the same time countries in the central and eastern part of Europe were not surprised. Many of them had viewed energy as a security issue for decades and had been struggling to free themselves from energy dependence on Russia. In this English version of the DIIS podcast we talk to two of our energy security researchers who also happen to both be from countries in the former Soviet space. They explain which experiences Poland and Lithuania have had working to free themselves from dependence on Russian gas - and how those experiences might inspire other countries in the EU with the dilemmas we are facing right now. Sound bites: DW News, BBC, Voice of America Researchers: Postdoc Izabela Surwillo, research assistant Veronika Slakaityte, Host: Marie Barse Manuscript and editing: Anne Blaabjerg Nielsen and Marie Barse