International conflicts related to energy: a case study of Lithuania's opposition to the construction of Russian nuclear power plants near its borders

ENThe chapter explains Lithuanian motives to oppose the construction of Ostrovets and Baltic nuclear power plants (NPPs) and examines the opposition process itself. By analyzing Lithuanian attempts to stop the construction of the NPPs mentioned above, it exposes the effectiveness of Lithuanian efforts in using international legal mechanisms and memberships in international organizations as tools for opposing them. Contrary to the conventional explanations that associate Lithuanian opposition to Russian NPPs with their closeness, safety flaws, and legal issues, the study argues that Lithuania opposes them because it perceives these nuclear power plants as tools of Russian policy that aim to hinder the development of Lithuanian strategic energy projects and to slow down its infrastructural integration into the European Union. Moreover, it shows that Lithuania managed to secure favorable political declarations from international organizations regarding Russian NPPs, but it was the national measures that had the most impact on their development. Keywords: Baltic NPP; Belarus; Energy dispute; Kaliningrad; Lithuania; Nuclear power; Ostrovets NPP; Russia; Small state.