2015 brought important reforms to Ukraine, particularly in the energy sector. It is in this light that Dr. Anders Åslund, resident senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, examines the promises kept and broken by the Post-Maidan government in Ukraine. “Never before has a Ukrainian government carried out so many sensible energy reforms, and in no other area has the Ukrainian government achieved reforms as radical as in the energy sector in 2015” states Dr. Aslund.
It is these reforms that make Dr. Åslund’s new issue brief, “Securing Ukraine’s energy sector,” especially apposite. The issue brief details the energy sector reforms necessary to rehabilitate the broader Ukrainian economy. Creating economic stability by ending corruption and decreasing dependence on Russia in the energy sector will have a significant impact on Ukraine. “Energy is the linchpin of Ukraine’s dependence on Russia. The Kremlin has used energy as a weapon not only to exert leverage over Ukraine, but also to control its leaders and key power players who have personally enriched themselves through opaque energy deals with Russia,” writes Dr. Åslund.
Ukraine is a nation rich in energy resources. Dr. Åslund outlines the steps that must be taken for that nation to fully capitalize on these resources thereby leveraging its economy for greater integration with the European Union.