An Analysis of the impact of Neo-Eurasian thought on Russian Foreign Policy in the 2014 Ukrainian Crisis

In recent years, the idea of Eurasianism has led Russian Foreign Policy more than any other idea, particularly in the Near Abroad regions. This Idea believes in standing against a uni-polar world. Vladimir Putin emphasizes that at this moment the “Russian Spring” has arrived; in order to regain its lost identity, the country should follow the Eurasian idea to once again bring back its lost regions under the great and glorious Russian flag. At the current time, he more openly and resolutely welcomes confrontation with the West and underlines the importance of protecting the countries spheres of influence. This was evident in the 2014 Ukrainian Crisis. The Ukrainian Crisis showed that Eurasianism has reached its operational stage and that Russia is on the path to the glorious days of Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union.
This paper aims to assess the impact of Eurasianism on international issues through the Ukrainian crisis. Therefore, the main question of the paper is the impact of neo-Eurasian idea on Russia approach towards the Ukraine crisis. To what degree was Russia’s approach influenced by geopolitical and Eurasian ideas? The hypothesis of the paper is that Russian geopolitical requirements, Russian distinct identity, the Neo-Eurasian idea and geopolitical surrounding of Moscow by NATO, are the main causes of Russia’s rigid approach towards the Ukrainian Crisis and the inevitable consequences of the crisis.