In her new book, “Power, Energy, and the New Russian Imperialism,” Anita Orban, the director of the Budapest-based Constellation Energy Institute, argues that the Kremlin’s foreign policy can be almost entirely pinned to the strength of Russia’s energy exports.

“This is the first comprehensive book which argues that Russia is using national energy companies as a tool of its foreign policy vis-a-vis countries who are NATO and EU members, like Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary,” Orban told Radio free Europe.

Orban’s central argument is that Russian energy companies are the vehicle for a reassertion of Soviet-era influence in Central and Eastern Europe.

“When we look back at the last 20 years, we can see periods where Russian energy companies were very active in Central-Eastern Europe,” says Orban. “And all these periods are when the Russian state was strong enough… financially to be able to use these companies and to execute its foreign policy aims.”