خلاصة:
The Caucasus has seen numerous crises since the region gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some of these crises have not been resolved yet as
evidenced by recent Russia-Georgia conflict. This paper seeks to analyze such crises within the framework of significant geopolitical changes unfolded by the collapse of the Soviet
Union. The author argues that in the post-Soviet era, the Russians lost much of their control over the region due to their own domestic problems, but it seems that Moscow is not interested in withdrawing further from the region. The author concludes that under current conditions, it seems that as long as all regional and trans-regional powers fail to consider the
interests of other powers or try to pose threats to them, the crises will continue to unfold in the Caucasus, while there is no agreed dispute settlement mechanism in the region as well.
ملخص الجهاز:
Therefore, in the early years after the disinte- gration of the Soviet Union, given Russia's preoc- cupation with its domestic problems, regional and trans-regional powers found an opportunity to compete with one another to realize their goals and to fill the power vacuum while considering factors such as the geopolitical and geo-strategic value of different regions (Afshordi, 2002: 6).
Western powers, particularly the United States, which consider Eurasia as an important and stra- tegic region in their foreign policies, attempted to fill the missing links on their Eurasian chain by creating new conditions, by gaining influence and by being present in these regions.
None- theless, although great powers such as Russia, the United States and the European Union share politi- cal interests in preventing the Caspian Sea from becoming a crisis-ridden zone, these actors have behaved competitively in this region.
S. and Europe on the one hand, and its importance for Russian national secu- rity on the other, the question of security in the Caucasus seems to have become a matter of great powers relations rather than a regional issue.
Given the fragile nature of ethnic issues in the Caucasus and its neighboring regions in the Russian territory, the reluctance of many nationalities to accept Russia's domination, and the likelihood that they could be intrigued by outside forces, Russia regards the republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia as its strategic depth and considers any influence exerted by for- eign powers in these regions as a threat to its na- tional security.