Talking gas: Local discourse of the Russian-Ukrainian gas trade

This paper examines the public discourse on gas trade issues in Russia and Ukraine since the Orange Revolution of 2004--2005. It sets out to answer the question what the debates in each country tell us about the prospects of gas-related conflicts or confrontations between Russia and Ukraine in the future. This paper relies on English-language expert literature to identify key issues in the bilateral gas trade and then utilizes Russian and Ukrainian language knowledge to examine the public statements and publications on these matters in each country. This review found significant differences and conflicts in how the elites, think tank experts and the public discuss this issue in Russia and Ukraine. The divergence in public debates about the bilateral gas trade in Russia and Ukraine has serious implications about the future stability of the gas trade relationship of the two countries.