Special lecture on Russia-Ukraine conflict and Global Energy Security Challenges 

Chandigarh, January 30, 2023: The University Business School, Panjab University in collaboration with Department of Political Science and ICSSR, NWRC, Chandigarh organised a special lecture today at UBS auditorium on Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Global Energy Security Challenges that have arisen in its wake. Ambassador Sanjeev Arora, former foreign secretary, Ministry of External affairs, Government of India delivered the lecture. He considered the conflict not only as the most serious geopolitical and security challenge for Europe since World War II but also having significant, multidimensional and far reaching ramifications for the rest of the world.  As the war rages on nearly one year after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the humanitarian tragedy continues to unfold.  The conflict has brought back spectres of cold war and nuclear blackmail, and reinvigorated the discourse on the inefficacy of the institutions and mechanisms of global governance in the pursuit of greater peace, stability, security and prosperity. The war has also further exacerbated global economic and developmental challenges, threatened food security in countries far away from the theatre of war, caused upheavals in energy markets and adversely impacted the economies of both global north and south. While Ukraine has been one of the biggest exporters of wheat, Russia has been the second largest exporter of oil and natural gas after South Arabia and USA respectively; it has been the number one exporter of natural gas and third highest exporter of crude oil after Iran and Qatar.
 
The lecture focussed especially on the implications of the conflict for the global energy situation. The former foreign secretary analysed major developments in this context and shared his perspectives as a practitioner of economic and energy diplomacy. The major issues that emerged during his presentation included the following: impact of sanctions imposed on Russia; how the crisis has glaringly revealed the vulnerabilities of Europe’s energy imports from Russia; how the energy policies of nation states are being increasingly impacted not only by the calculus of demand, supply and prices, but also by other vital factors such as financial and technology flows, supply chains, logistics, insurance; how energy security imperatives are shaping international relations and foreign policy;  ‘weaponisation of energy’, among others.  The critical issues of renewable sources of energy and climate change also figured. Finally, Ambassador Mehra also discussed, inter alia, ramifications of the conflict for India’s energy security policies.
 
Questions came up about the nuanced position of India regarding the conflict as both countries have been friendly countries. The speaker highlighted the fact that with Russia India has had long military-strategic relations and with Ukraine also India has had trade-related and also cultural relationship. India has followed a policy of neutrality though has supported the demand that the war should end and solution be within the UN framework. About the need to look for renewable sources of energy, much felt by the European countries as they decide to cut off Russian supply of natural gas and crude oil, Mr Arora said it was true for a developing economy like India also in the long run. Such an energy shall be clean energy that would be helpful to save the world from greenhouse effect. 
 
Professor Deepak Kapoor of UBS chaired the lecture. The faculty and students of the UBS and the Department of Political Science attended it. Professor Sanjay Kaushik, the Chairman of UBS welcomed the guest who is an alumnus of the same school. Professor Ashutosh Kumar introduced the theme.