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Governance: The Political Science Journal at UNLV

Governance: The Political Science Journal at UNLV

Keywords

Soviet Union; Interventionism, Geopolitics

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PDF

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645KBUpon the Soviet Union’s collapse, in a short time the once Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) became fifteen distinctly sovereign states, coupled by a sum of de facto states. The sum of these de facto states, realized from frozen conflicts, endure a distinct type of instability in Russia’s near abroad, where reconciliation is temporary given the frequent resumption of hostilities. In this paper, I detail major events of frozen conflicts in the Post Soviet Space, from South Ossetia to Nagorno-Karabakh, evaluating the Russian involvement of each de facto state’s respective frozen conflict. The combination of historical analysis and case studies reveals the process of intervention, and the consequent geopolitical gains for Russia. The following research has been conducted in order to answer the question: how has Russian strategic involvement in frozen conflicts of the Post Soviet Space allowed for geopolitical positioning? Frozen conflicts allow Russia to control outcomes when states make attempts to leave the Russian orbit, never free from the agenda of parent states or external patrons. This disregard draws attention to a tendency Russia, as a state, expresses in the frozen conflicts of Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia: personal gain. The strategic use of military presence and intervention has allowed Russia to oversee developments, reigniting and progressing them as desired.

Abstract

Upon the Soviet Union’s collapse, in a short time the once Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) became fifteen distinctly sovereign states, coupled by a sum of de facto states. The sum of these de facto states, realized from frozen conflicts, endure a distinct type of instability in Russia’s near abroad, where reconciliation is temporary given the frequent resumption of hostilities. In this paper, I detail major events of frozen conflicts in the Post Soviet Space, from South Ossetia to Nagorno-Karabakh, evaluating the Russian involvement of each de facto state’s respective frozen conflict. The combination of historical analysis and case studies reveals the process of intervention, and the consequent geopolitical gains for Russia. The following research has been conducted in order to answer the question: how has Russian strategic involvement in frozen conflicts of the Post Soviet Space allowed for geopolitical positioning? Frozen conflicts allow Russia to control outcomes when states make attempts to leave the Russian orbit, never free from the agenda of parent states or external patrons. This disregard draws attention to a tendency Russia, as a state, expresses in the frozen conflicts of Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia: personal gain. The strategic use of military presence and intervention has allowed Russia to oversee developments, reigniting and progressing them as desired.

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