Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 M.A. in International Relations, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
2 Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
Abstract
Introduction
The Ukraine crisis, which began in 2014 and intensified following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has become one of the most significant geopolitical and security developments in Eurasia. Its consequences have extended beyond Russia–Ukraine relations, affecting regional security structures, the balance of power, and interactions among regional and extra-regional actors. Moscow has viewed the crisis as part of a broader strategic competition with the West and a shift in the balance of power within its surrounding security environment. This study examines Russia’s role in redefining regional security in Eurasia and the strategies employed to reshape regional security arrangements. It asks: How has Russia used the Ukraine crisis to redefine regional security in Eurasia between 2014 and 2025, and what consequences has this process had for the regional security order? The hypothesis argues that, by perceiving NATO expansion and Western influence in Ukraine as threats to its security and traditional sphere of influence, Russia has employed military, geopolitical, and economic instruments to reconstruct favorable security arrangements and strengthen its regional position. Drawing on Offensive Realism and Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT), the study examines the relationship between great-power competition, threat perception, power balancing, and Eurasian security dynamics.
Methods
This qualitative study employs a descriptive-analytical approach. Data were collected through library-based research, including scholarly books and articles, specialized reports, relevant documents, and credible materials addressing the Ukraine crisis, Russia’s foreign and security policies, Russia–West relations, NATO expansion, and Eurasian geopolitics. The study covers 2014–2025, encompassing the outbreak of the crisis, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the full-scale war beginning in 2022, and its regional consequences. Offensive Realism is employed to explain power, security competition, balancing, and Russia’s efforts to preserve its strategic position, while Regional Security Complex Theory analyzes changing patterns of security interdependence among Russia, Ukraine, Eastern European states, and Western powers.
Findings
The findings indicate that the Ukraine crisis has become a principal driver of the redefinition of the Eurasian security order, while Russia has pursued a multidimensional strategy since 2014 to strengthen its regional position. Militarily, Russia has sought to prevent the consolidation of a Western-oriented security order along its borders through military capabilities, hard power, and the full-scale military operation in Ukraine in 2022. Geopolitically, Moscow has sought to strengthen its strategic depth, consolidate its position in the post-Soviet space, and redefine relations with regional actors. Economically, energy, infrastructure, and trade networks have served as instruments for preserving Russian leverage in Eurasia. Russia’s actions have simultaneously intensified competition with the West, strengthened NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe, and increased regional security concerns. Western pressure has also encouraged Moscow to deepen strategic cooperation with China and other non-Western actors. Thus, the crisis has intensified the Russia–West security dilemma while contributing to new patterns of power balancing and increasing multipolarization in Eurasia.
Conclusion
The findings demonstrate that the Ukraine crisis extends beyond a territorial or bilateral conflict and has become an arena of competition over the Eurasian security order. Perceiving Western and NATO influence as threats to its security and geopolitical position, Russia has sought to reshape regional security arrangements through military power, economic leverage, strategic depth, and cooperation with non-Western powers. However, these policies have also strengthened NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe and intensified competition with the West. From the perspective of Regional Security Complex Theory, the crisis has reconfigured security linkages among Russia, Ukraine, and European states; from the perspective of Offensive Realism, it demonstrates the continuing importance of power competition, security, and preventing rival predominance in great-power behavior. Overall, between 2014 and 2025, the Ukraine crisis has marked a transition toward a more competitive, multilayered, and multipolar Eurasian security environment shaped by Russia–West rivalry, NATO’s expanding role, and the deepening Russia–China strategic partnership.
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