Competing Hegemons: EU and Russian Power Projection in the South Caucasus

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the European Union (EU) and Russian approaches to the “Common Neighbourhood,” and considers key factors in their respective power projection in the South Caucasus. It examines elements that specifically drive Armenia closer to the EU and Russia’s efforts to balance this through its own external governance. In doing so, it looks at a range of “carrots” and “sticks” that both the EU and Russia, as geopolitical actors, employ to gain traction into this shared space. A theoretical framework of geopolitical strategies is employed to establish the context in which both the EU and Russia operate with respect to the South Caucasus, and establishes the basis for understanding how both actors respond to one another with the aim of dominating the region. Russia’s geostrategic posture is better suited to secure a concrete zone of influence within the region despite protracted efforts by the EU to establish its influence over the South Caucasus.