The Emerging Russia-Asia Energy Nexus

Russia possesses enormous reserves of oil, natural gas, and coal, and its size and geographic location put it in close proximity to some of the world’s largest energy importers. Japan, China, South Korea, and Asia’s other major energy importers have long sought greater access to Russia’s immense energy resources. Russian oil and gas supplies could significantly reduce these countries’ heavy dependence on energy imports from the Middle East, as well as their reliance on oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transported via the Indo-Pacific region’s congested and contested sea lanes.