The article analyzes the importance of the energy factor in the system of relations between United States and Russia. It defines the role and place of the oil monarchies of the Persian Gulf, as well as Iraq and Iran in the energy policies of the United States of America and the Russian Federation. The paper discussed the conceptual content of the energy factor as a foreign policy tool, which can simultaneously act as an element of “hard” and “soft power”. The mechanism of the formation of the United States of a regional network on the system of so-called “energy outposts.” The author analyzed the basic mechanisms of the US-Russian energy dialogue in the Gulf region, as well as highlighted reasons for the rise of competitive confrontation between the superpowers in the energy sector of the region and presents main directions of Russian-American cooperation and competition in the energy sector of the Gulf States.

Last year (2014), after years of negotiation, China signed a gas supply contract with Russia, which is a milestone of Sino-Russian energy cooperation. This contract gives us a chance to review the development of Sino-Russian energy cooperation and relations in the past 15 years. By analysing this long history, we found that today’s achievement is the result of diverse determinants.
It is necessary to understand these elements and consider energy cooperation against the background of economic development, international relations and world governance, so that we can understand how the energy deal was made and what it means to both countries in different aspects.
For both countries, today’s progress is the consequence of internal needs and external pressures. Russia seeks for new market and tries to avoid political and economic risks. China needs strategic reserve and a proper political partner. More importantly, both sides hold the consensus that the energy cooperation could bring effect on political level.
They set an example of how big powers cooperate and how they solve disputes. The high level of political and strategic consensus has played an essential role in this cooperation. This politically-oriented characteristic contributes to today’s breakthrough, however, on the other hand, it could also bring unstable and fragile factors.