This timely collection offers fresh perspectives on the analysis of the 'New Great Game' - the fight for access to the former Soviet Union's energy resources. Thus far the export of crude oil and natural gas has only been assessed through a geopolitical lens, which oversimplifies the political dynamics of the region and neglects to acknowledge the post-Soviet countries as actors in their own right. Broadening the scope of analysis, this volume brings together insights from various different angles, including the securitization of energy issues, the formation of post-Soviet energy policies, and the motives of local business and political actors.

Dr Heiko Pleines is head of the department of Politics and Economics at the Research Centre for East European Studies and lecturer in Comparative Politics at the University of Bremen, Germany. His research focuses on the influence of non-state actors on political decision-making processes, including case studies on corruption and the energy sector in the former Soviet Union. Dr Andreas Heinrich is a researcher at the Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen, Germany. He has worked extensively on energy relations in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.