huLevel of Analysis

In political science we use three widely accepted levels of generalization (or abstraction) to help
understand highly complex problems in world politics; those are the individual, state (or, society)
and the international system (Webber n.d.). The individual level of analysis means a condition
where democratic governments are preferred for transferring moral principles of individuals into
those of the international system. States are assumed to be power-seeking entities that enter into
competition with one another in the absence of a central power to overawe them, thus its analysis
translates into the national interest of that state. The level of analysis for international system
defines as the logic of anarchy and intervention in the inner workings of other states to promote
stability prior to the transfer of democratic principles to that state.

Further, Owen Temby argue that a level of analysis should be defined as a social structure that is
examined for its effects on another social structure, or on the same social structure (Temby
2013). Therefore, levels of analysis are also relational, meaning that one is defined, in part, in
terms of its associated unit of analysis. His definition is actually conceptualizing levels of
analysis as methodological tools rather than ontological postulates, which consistent with a wide
range of positions on the agent-structure debate. Thus, the significance and usefulness of levels
of analysis as an IR central concept should be clearly understood.

In its correlation with the topic of Russia – Ukraine relations upon the energy supply to European
countries, every evidence that happen between them could actually become a further learning on
the implication to individual, states and even the international system. Those three concerns are
linkage upwards and downwards while the impacts for what happen in international relations
also cannot be ignored. Back in January 1st 2006, when the delivery from Siberian gas fields to
Ukraine was cut off by reducing pressure in the pipeline network which carries billions of cubic
meters of gas chiefly to Germany, Italy and France (Parfitt 2006). The decision that Russia
(state) made was very impactful to the other states which further expanded internationally and
touch the individuals.

In order to deliver you a more comprehensive information, the authors would like to elaborate
more about the three level of analysis in Russia – Ukraine relations upon the energy supply to
European countries. The analysis is as the following:
- Individual Level of Analysis
The energy disruption from Russia to the European countries because of the price
disputes gave a horrible significance to the society of the impacted states. It was in the
winter between 2005 and 2006, when most of the Eastern Europe countries are being
deprived of heating as the Arctic cold snap continues (Gow 2009). The gas disruption at
that time made the middle rest winter horrible, where most of the individuals could not do
their activities as it should be in the winter and made them think to cover the problems.
The decision made by Russia as a state, shows how they with their national and economic
interest impact the society and more narrowly individuals in doing their winter daily
activity.

- State Level of Analysis

In this case, Russia become the superior state in terms of energy compare to the other by
provides roughly 41 percent of Europe’s total natural gas via five export pipelines. Those
pipelines are the Yamal-Europe I, Northern Lights, Soyuz, Bratstvo, and Nord Stream
with Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltics become the respective transit countries for these
(U.S. Energy Information Administration 2014). The Soyuz (Union), Trans-Balkan and
Bratstvo (Brotherhood) pipeline systems deliver gas to Europe through Ukraine, which
amounts to 60 percent of Russia’s total natural gas exports. Prior to the completion of the
controversial Nord Stream pipeline, which became operational in 2011, 80 percent of
Russian exports were delivered to Europe through Ukraine with the pipeline links Russia
and Germany under the Baltic Sea (The Institute for Energy Research 2014).
If we take a look back to the definition of state level of analysis from Professor Webber,
as Russia got advantages and superiority, off course they have their national interest that
should be kept. This condition clearly can be seen when they moved on 16 June 2013 to
turn off the taps, after complaining that Ukraine had failed to pay off its debts, estimated
at $5.3bn (£3.3bn; 4.2bn euros) by Russian state-run giant Gazprom. The same action
also has been done in 2006 regarding price increasing dispute from $50 per 1,000 cubic
meters, to $230 and again demanded a price hike to $400-plus from $250 in 2009
(Henley 2014). Becoming a sovereign state with natural gas resource as their main tool,
 realistically Russia demand for advantage with its natural gas selling as big as they can to
give a positive impact for their economy.

- International Level of Analysis

This level of analysis will be very interesting to be discussed seeing that Russia’s
significance most of the European countries in term of energy dependence. The decision
made by the Gazprom which is Russia’s giant state-owned company to close the pipeline
gas tap, endanger not only the states’ energy security but moreover the security of the
individuals. In responding to this, it is not only the countries who are trying to renegotiate
and find the meeting point, thus further in the name of European Union (Ashton 2015).
Simply to conclude, the European Union through the ministries are trying hard to prevent
the current dispute in Eastern Ukraine from interrupting the EU’s gas supply yet again.
The atmosphere that they are working on is to create EU Gas Independence through the
less dependent to Russia with also the ideas of diversification. They are proposing
measures to improve the EU's gas infrastructure so that countries can share supplies
across borders, end regulated pricing, increase the number of liquefied natural gas
terminals and improve information-sharing between companies and member states on
negotiations (Ashton 2015). They were planning to import more Liquid Natural Gas
(LNG) from suppliers such as Qatar and playing upon the regional price of natural gas
with its supply and demand. At the end their plan will make Russia sufficient to meet the
EU needs in term of price and reduce the amount of gas being bought from Russia fell by
the wayside.

Through this case, we can see the correlation and linkage between the states, individuals and
international system. Russia in this stage, with their high natural gas resource is winning a lot.
Seeing on what they have, off course Russia must be set their own national and economic
interest which is by playing with the price of their natural gas on every cubic meter. At the time
they do not meet the deal with Ukraine, the significance is not only to the Ukraine but also to the
most of European countries that becoming the energy consumer. The people of European
countries should face the horrible rest of the winter back that time because of the decision that
Russia take. Further, the respond came not in a form of state-by-state but in a form of an
anarchy, the international system; European Union. They are trying and working hard to make
their energy needs are not over-dependent to Russia.

Bibliography
Ashton, Gary. 2015. How The Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute Affects The EU. March 12. Accessed April 2,
2017. http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/031215/how-russiaukraine-gas-dispute-
affects-eu.asp.

Gow, David. 2009. Russia-Ukraine gas crisis intensifies as all European supplies are cut off. January 7.
Accessed April 2, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/jan/07/gas-ukraine.

Henley, Jon. 2014. Is Europe's gas supply threatened by the Ukraine crisis? March 3. Accessed April 2,
2017. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/03/europes-gas-supply-ukraine-crisis-
russsia-pipelines.

Parfitt, Tom. 2006. Russia turns off supplies to Ukraine in payment row, and EU feels the chill. January 2.
Accessed February 20, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jan/02/russia.ukraine.

Temby, Owen. 2013. "What are levels of analysis and what do they contribute to international relations
theory?" Cambridge Review of International Affairs 721-742.

The Institute for Energy Research . 2014. Ukraine: An Important Transit Country for Natural Gas and
Petroleum. March 24. Accessed April 2, 2017.
http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/analysis/ukraine-an-important-transit-country-for-
natural-gas-and-petroleum/.

U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2014. Russia Overview. March 12. Accessed April 2, 2017.
http://www.eia.gov/countries/analysisbriefs/Russia/russia.pdf.

Webber, Professor. n.d. "Levels of Analysis in International Relations." Political Science 151.