EHAB MOHAMED JABER ISMAEL
Baku State University, Faculty of Journalism
Department of International Journalism and Information Policy
ORCID ID: 0009-0002-3089-5530
DINULESCU ALEXANDRA-ȘTEFANIA
Baku State University Faculty of International Relations and Economy
Department of Diplomacy and Modern Integration Processes
ORCID: 0009-0005-4226-3815
ENERGY IN HYBRID WARFARE (2022–2024): MEDIA AND DIPLOMACY
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2708-065X/113/191-199
The research investigates how hybrid warfare employed energy resources between 2022 and 2024 by examining how supply disruptions combined with media coverage and diplomatic efforts. The study demonstrates that energy weaponization achieved strategic value because media coverage turned economic ties into national security dangers, which resulted in military advantages. The article uses hybrid warfare theory together with energy geopolitics and strategic narrative analysis to show how media discourse advanced securitization processes while European countries changed their diplomatic strategies. The study results demonstrate that communication functions as a primary element that boosts hybrid threats during modern energy conflicts. Using the Energy Trade Intensity scale, calculated as the ratio of total energy trade to GDP, the study observes the evolution of energy engagement of Azerbaijan during the 2016-2024 period. The ETI is built on a theoretical ground of theories regarding complex interdependence (Keohane and Nye) and the capitalist peace (Gartzke), arguing that the more energy trades are occurring, the more the costs of conflict are growing, and lowering the chances of hostility. Using a data-based methodology, this research article also displays trade data for main energy resources, such as refined petroleum, electricity, and pipeline natural gas, together with GDP values, in order to calculate ETI scores. The study investigates how changes in ETI correspond to periods of geopolitical crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, and determines whether diversified energy involvement generates stronger security profiles.
Keywords: Hybrid warfare; Energy diplomacy; Media framing; National security; Energy weaponization.