فهرست مطالب مریم هاشمی نژاد اشرفی

Energy security has become intricately intertwined with state power, resulting in a complex web of interdependence among energy-producing and consuming countries. Any disruption in this network of interdependencies can have significant ripple effects on the international system. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 had a profound impact on the international system following the Cold War. Russia's substantial reserves of oil and gas have historically positioned it as the primary energy exporter to Europe, and the interconnected energy networks resulted in a significant level of interdependence. The main questions of this research are, considering the significance of energy in the dynamics between Russia and Europe, what has been the role of this prominent factor in the conflicts between Russia and Europe? And what changes did the consequences of the war in Ukraine create in the energy geopolitics of the international system? In this regard, this study seeks to find the correlation of energy in the Ukraine war within the framework of interdependence theories, and its findings indicate that energy, as a strong field of interdependence between Russia and Europe, for reasons such as ideological differences, long-standing distrust, and most importantly, the weaponized use of it by the parties not only failed to create a pluralistic security society but have also led to threatening perceptions. These perceptions have escalated to the point of war and have had an impact on international relations.

The Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022 caused changes in the international system and blackened the balance of power prospects, especially in a region like Central Asia where Russia has a strong role and influence. Factors such as Russia's military conflict in Ukraine, and this country's focus on its ability to disrupt equations in its favor, which subsequently causes changes in its national and foreign policies, open paths for new questions. Such as whether the war in Ukraine and its consequences have caused Russia's role to diminish, or we can even say Russia's hegemony (especially from a security point of view) in Central Asia? In this case, is China, another influential and powerful actor in the region, going to fill the vacuum of Russian influence? Or will the countries of the region take advantage of the opportunity this time and highlight other regional actors such as India, Turkey, Iran, or trans regional actors such as the European Union in their foreign policy? In order to answer these questions, this research has tried to investigate the variables of China and Russia's sources of power and influence in Central Asia, and their changes after the Ukraine war. After evaluating the prospects of challenges and the opportunities created by this war for the influence of China and Russia in this region will provide scenarios for the future situation in Central Asia and the influential actors in the region.