Power Play: The Ruthless Rise and Perilous Future of Russia’s Energy Empire

The incendiary history of how Russia’s fossil fuel empire has shaped the modern world

The story of modern Russia is the story of oil and gas – and of a world that just couldn’t stop buying. The Kremlin lost the Cold War and yet within a few years Russia was once again a formidable global force. This would have been unthinkable without energy. After all, it had always been the linchpin of Soviet empire-building.

In Power Play leading expert on Russian foreign and security policy Sergey Radchenko reveals in gripping detail how fossil fuels became Russia’s most potent weapon. From the early days of the Cold War, Soviet leaders used them to bribe adversaries and keep allies docile. Later, they supported the ailing economy and helped to keep the USSR alive as Soviet oil and gas travelled visa-free to the West, powering European industries, while critical technologies travelled the other way.

Throughout, the Kremlin used energy for political leverage, but it was Vladimir Putin who became the real master of the game. Russia turned power into a weapon of war, but the weapon misfired on Russia itself.

Today’s global crises cannot be understood without Russian oil and gas. Dramatically reframing Soviet and post-Soviet history, Power Play is the definitive account of Russia, energy and the making of the modern world.