DEVELOPMENT OF GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION IN THE BLACK SEA REGION AFTER 1991

Abstract

This article is devoted to the explanation of the reasons that led to the development of the geopolitical situation in the Black Sea region after the end of the Cold War, the collapse of world communism and the disintegration of the USSR. The author notes that during this period, it did not improve, but on the contrary become more confrontational. The main reason for the intensification of this confrontation is the policy of Russia, which has undergone two main stages in its development: conservative (under President Yeltsin) and revanchist (under Putin’s rule). At the first stage, Russia, trying to maintain its control over the post-Soviet space, adhered to tactics of the secret support of separatist movements. This led to the emergence of Transnistrian, Abkhazian and South Ossetian military-political conflicts, in which Russian military formations were directly involved. The result of these conflicts was the creation of three self-proclaimed state entities in the territory of Moldova and Georgia, which, although not recognized by Russia, were fully controlled by it. On the territory of Ukraine during this period, Russia succeeded only in subjugating its naval base in Sevastopol, including most of the ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the former USSR. At the second stage, Russia moved from a policy of preserving its presence in the territories of Moldova, Georgia (under the pretext of the need to deploy “peacekeeping forces” there) and Ukraine (due to the creation of a naval base in Sevastopol) to direct military aggressions. It is noted that changes in foreign policy were conditioned by the transformation of the Russian political regime – from a “Delegative Democracy” (under Yeltsin) to Neo-totalitarianism (under Putin).