The Effects of the Energy Policies of the Scandinavian Countries on the Foreign Policies of the Baltic Countries

Abstract

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which declared their independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, became members of the European Union in 2004 and NATO in 2005. This study aims to examine the effects of energy production and distribution projects carried out by the Scandinavian countries on the reduction of the dependence of the neighboring Baltic Countries on Russia. While the Baltic and Scandinavian countries are trying to reduce their dependence on Russia in energy supply, they are building new giant power lines among themselves to meet their electricity needs. The goal of these projects is to take part in the electricity supply of the EU energy market. One step to achieve this goal is to integrate the Northern and Baltic markets. Considering that the Russian energy sector was not competitive enough during the Russia-Ukraine War, Finland and the Baltic countries have the opportunity to replace their imports from Russia with their own capacities or with imports from Northern Europe. The Baltic Countries, whose energy independence has become stronger, can act more boldly in taking serious steps in integration with the West. Specifically regarding the economic independence of the Baltic Countries from Russia, it was studied whether the energy production and distribution projects in question collectively affected the political trends in the Northern European Region.