Conflicts in Donbass and the Kerch Strait as an Element of the Neo-Imperialist Expansion Strategy of the Russian Federation in the Post-Soviet Area

by Marcin Orzechowski^1
1 University of Szczecin (Szczecin, Poland)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29202/up/3/6
Received: October 13, 2018 / Accepted: November 1, 2018 / Published: December 25, 2018

The subject of the article is the analysis of the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine and Kerch Strait. The emergence of two quasi-state entities greatly contributed to the destabilization of the political and social space in Ukraine. The involvement of the Russian Federation in maintaining separatist tendencies in the Donbas is assessed as interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine. From today’s perspective, there are some new questions about the future of relations between Russia and Ukraine. Some analysts believe that the Russians consistently implement the strategy of neo-imperial expansionism and activities in Donbas are the next step to reintegration of the post-Soviet area. An important role is also played the implementation of the policy implemented by the president and government of Ukraine. The author tries to answer the question whether Novorossiya is a “new quality” in Russian policy concerning the postSoviet area, or rather key element in the strategy of “collecting lands” and another “hot spot”, next to Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in the post-Soviet space that would destabilize the situation in the region.

Keywords: international relations; Russian Federation; Ukraine; regional conflicts; hybrid war

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Orzechowski, Marcin (2018) Conflicts in Donbass and the Kerch Strait as an Element of the Neo-Imperialist Expansion Strategy of the Russian Federation in the Post-Soviet Area. Ukrainian Policymaker, Volume 3, 43-50. https://doi.org/10.29202/up/3/6