For decades, the prevailing belief in Europe has been that, in relation to Russia, the promotion of reciprocal trade will lead to rapprochement and mutually beneficial cooperation. Geopolitical interests have given way to commercial calculations. Europe has opened itself up to dependence on Russian fossil fuels, while ignoring all its imperial forays. In the end, it financed the armament of its greatest enemy. How is it possible that Europe ignored the warning signs of an increasingly aggressive and imperialist Russian Federation for so long? What role does the fossil fuel business and political corruption play in this? And how do fossil fuels influence geopolitics and contribute to authoritarian rule and violence in politics? And also how do we get out of it today?

In a new episode of the Heatwave podcast, Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen, an expert on Russian energy and environmental policy from the University of Helsinki, reveals how dependence on fossil fuels has become a key tool of Vladimir Putin's power. Tynkkynen, author of the acclaimed books The Energy of Russia: Hydrocarbon Culture and Climate Change and the new How Europe Got Russia Wrong: Energy, Violence, and the Environment, explains not only how the Kremlin is using oil and gas to advance its geopolitical goals, but also how it is systematically building a "carbon culture" for domestic audiences as well as spreading denial about the severity of climate change. Fossil fuels are thus becoming a key part of Russian state propaganda in building the image of a strong Russian empire.