From Democratization to Disintegration: The Battle for the European Union's Eastern Periphery-A Geopolitical Note/ Perception
Abstract
Unconsolidated democracies on the European eastern periphery are confronted with the existence of Russia's backed secessionist regions scattered across the post-Soviet space. While some of them have existed for more than two decades, others have joined the club of "pariahs" only recently.
Existence of unrecognized states presents not only a direct challenge to the territorial integrity of parent states, but also prevents Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia from consolidating their statehoods and political systems. The article analyzes whether their very existence is challenging the paradigm of the system of states based on absolute perception of territorial sovereignty, or they just serve Kremlin's geopolitical interest in the post-Soviet space.
The article argues that Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine confronted with much stronger Russian Federation, will need to adjust to the existing geopolitical situation in which insistence on absolute territorial integrity is unrealistic in order to consolidate statehood. This paper highlights the need to pay attention to a fact that a conflict in Ukraine brings a significant change.
Russia deliberately provokes internal ethno-political conflict in Ukraine in order to geopolitically destabilize a periphery of the European Union (EU) by providing external support to locals in order to clear the way for intervention and extension of the zone of instability.