Assessing Russia’s doctrine of Realpolitik as strategic re-contouring of regional power -balance in the post-Soviet periphery

Authors

  • Monika Eriksen Jagiellonian University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.13.2016.41.16

Keywords:

Russia, Realpolitik, Crimea, Putin foreign policy, Eurasianism

Abstract

The Ukraine conflict escalated in early 2014 and resulted in Russia’s annexation of Crimea. This illustrates a troublesome pattern in the region. The author claims that this most recent political crisis is in fact emblematic of Russian’s narrative for some time, as exemplified by the Russia-Georgian War, or Putin’s support of Moldavian separatists. The article attempts to conceptualize Russian “mingling” in the region in light of several relevant events such as the recent creation of the Eurasian Economic Union as well as the annexation of Crimea as a deliberate strategy that reflects a much larger pattern of potential destabilization and expansionism, which begun more than a decade ago. The argument will be analyzed through the prism of two theoretical perspectives, the redefined domino theory and Kohr’s power theory of social misery. Moreover, the article will place a particular emphasis on the increasing influence of the concept of Eurasianism on Russian geopolitics in recent years. The increasing regional vulnerabilities in light of Russia’s antagonistic policy of Realpolitik, stresses the need for a protracted dialogue about other potential security threats that could further destabilize the region. The article discusses recent events in Ukraine as an emblematic example of Russian geopolitical strategy as a potential warning for other sovereign States in the post-Soviet “near-abroad”.

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Author Biography

Monika Eriksen, Jagiellonian University

Is a PhD Candidate at the Institute for European Studies at the Jagiellonian University. She has studied Political Science at State University of New York, and obtained a Master Degree in International Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University as well as a Master Degree in European Studies from Jagiellonian University with a focus on Southeast Europe. Her academic interests deal with aspects of national identity building, international conflict resolution, ethnic conflicts and minority rights. She has worked and conducted research on issues related to Western Balkans, with a particular focus on Kosovo. She is an author of several articles, and has participated in various EU and UN-sponsored projects on civil society building in Kosovo as part of the Center for Civil Society Development in 2007-2008.

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Published

2016-03-15

How to Cite

Eriksen, Monika. 2016. “Assessing Russia’s Doctrine of Realpolitik As Strategic Re-Contouring of Regional Power -Balance in the Post-Soviet Periphery”. Politeja 13 (2 (41):305-28. https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.13.2016.41.16.