Geopolitical Doctrine, Regional Security Economics, and the Economic Determinants of Its Intervention in Ukraine

Abstract

This article investigates the geopolitical foundations and economic-policy mechanisms underlying Russia’s “great power” strategy in the post-Soviet space, with particular emphasis on the economic drivers and strategic calculations that informed its intervention in Ukraine. Moving beyond conventional political and military analyses, the study situates Russian behavior within the broader framework of regional economic security, spheres of influence, energy dependency, market control, and the strategic use of economic leverage. The authors argue that Russia’s foreign-policy doctrine—historically shaped by imperial legacies and contemporary Eurasianist geoeconomic thinking—prioritizes the consolidation of regional economic dominance and the maintenance of dependency structures among neighboring states. By examining Russia’s economic instruments, including energy corridors, trade restrictions, transport routes, currency influence, and hybrid economic coercion, the article reveals a systematic pattern of strategic behavior designed to preserve Moscow’s central role in Eurasian political-economic architecture.