Russia’s Policy to Protect It’s Near Abroad and Cold War Impressions (2008 Russia – Georgia War and 2014 Ukraine Crisis)

Year 2022, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 164 - 204, 31.01.2022

Gökhan Alptekin

https://doi.org/10.33723/rs.1034978

Abstract

The Caucasus and Black Sea are important regions in terms of energy lines extending from east to west. Georgia and Ukraine have a critical position in the security policies of both NATO and the EU in these regions. These countries are key points to ensure the energy security of the West and to control Asia's opening to the west. These points are also located in the near abroad of Russia. The 2008 Russia-Georgia War and the 2014 Ukraine Crisis showed that Russia will not allow any actor other than itself to fill the power vacuum that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union in regions such as the Caucasus, Black Sea and Eastern Europe. Although the USA and the EU have tried to show a presence in the region by using soft power until today, Russia did not hesitate to use hard power in return. This impression reminded the world that a new cold war would begin between Russia and the USA. This research aims to examine the potential of what happened between Russia and the USA to disrupt the current international status quo and lead to a new Cold War in the light of concrete data. In this context, the possibility of Russia's rise to superpower status and the possible reactions of the EU are also among the subjects researched.

Keywords

2008 Russia - Georgia War, 2014 Ukraine Crisis, Cold War, Great Power Status, Near Abroad Policy

RUSYA’NIN YAKIN ÇEVRESİNİ KORUMA POLİTİKASI VE SOĞUK SAVAŞ İZLENİMLERİ (2008 RUSYA-GÜRCİSTAN SAVAŞI VE 2014 UKRAYNA KRİZİ)

Abstract

Kafkasya ve Karadeniz doğudan batıya uzanan enerji hatları açısından önemli bölgelerdir. Gürcistan ve Ukrayna ise bu bölgelerin hem NATO’nun hem de AB’nin güvenlik güvenlik politikalarında kritik bir konuma sahip ülkelerindendir. Söz konusu ülkeler gerek Batının enerji güvenliğini sağlamak gerekse Asya’nın batıya açılımını kontrol etmek için kilit noktalardan biridir. Bu noktalar aynı zamanda Rusya’nın yakın çevresinde yer almaktadır. 2008 Rusya–Gürcistan Savaşı ve 2014 Ukrayna Krizi, Rusya’nın Kafkasya, Karadeniz ve Doğu Avrupa gibi bölgelerde Sovyetler’in dağılmasından sonra meydana gelen güç boşluğunun kendisi dışında bir aktör tarafından doldurulmasına müsaade etmeyeceğini göstermiştir. Her ne kadar ABD ve AB günümüze kadar yumuşak güç kullanarak bölgede varlık göstemeye çalışmışsa da Rusya bunun karşılığında sert güç kullanmaktan çekinmemiştir. Bu izlenim dünyada Rusya ile ABD arasında yeni bir soğuk savaşın başladığını düşündürmüştür. Bu araştırma, somut veriler ışığında Rusya ile ABD arasında yaşananların mevcut uluslararası statükoyu bozma ve yeni bir soğuk savaşa yol açma potansiyelini incelemeyi hedeflemektedir. Bu kapsamda Rusya’nın süper güç statüsüne yükselme ihtimali ve AB’nin muhtemel tepkileri de araştırılan konular arasındadır.

Keywords

2008 Rusya-Gürcistan Savaşı, 2014 Ukrayna Krizi, Soğuk Savaş, Büyük Güç Statüsü, Yakın Çevre Politikası

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