Our Friend, Russia?

Following a landslide victory in Sunday’s national election, Dmitry Medvedev is poised to succeed Vladimir Putin as Russia’s president. But pundits don’t expect much to change under Medvedev, which could be bad news for energy policy. In an online Harris Interactive/ Financial Times poll conducted prior to the election, majorities in all six countries surveyed regarded Russia as an unreliable energy supplier. However, majorities in five of the six countries—Great Britain was the one exception—also said they viewed Russia more as a friend than a foe. Source: Harris Interactive/ Financial Times, January-February 2008.