The importance of the South Caucasus in the modern geopolitical thought of Russian Federation

Da bi lahko razumeli pomen Južnega Kavkaza in kako se ta kaže v geopolitični misli Ruske federacije, smo v diplomskem delu sprva razčlenili koncept geopolitike, ki je v začetku 19. stoletja temeljil na moči politike in njenem vplivu. Sčasoma smo prišli do dejstva, da termin zajema širok spekter geopolitičnih dejavnikov in se kaže v nacionalnih in mednarodnih interesih držav. Južni Kavkaz je v geostrateškem smislu pomembna regija, predvsem zaradi energetskih virov in strateške lege, kar prikazujejo zgodovinski dogodki na območju Armenije, Azerbajdžana in Gruzije ter neposredni bližini. Tako imenovana bližnja tujina, pomemben koncept v geopolitiki Ruske federacije, ima velik pomen za to državoto se opazi ob analizi zunanjepolitičnih odločitev vrha države in nacionalnovarnostne strategije, še posebno v času predsedovanja Vladimirja Putina. V ozadju Putinovega predsedovanja se razkriva ideologija evrazianizma, ki stremi k vnovičnemu združenju ozemelj republik nekdanje Sovjetske zveze. Pomen Južnega Kavkaza v sodobni geopolitični misli Ruske federacije je tako zaznamovan z boji za vpliv ali pa prevlado nad tem prostorom med Rusko federacijo in številnimi preostalimi državami mednarodne skupnosti.In order to understand the significance of the South Caucasus and how it reflects in the geopolitical thought of the Russian Federation, the thesis first works out the concept of geopolitics, which was based on the power of politics and its influence at the beginning of the 19th century. We have eventually come to the fact that the term includes a wide spectrum of geopolitical factors and reflects the national and international interests of each country. Geostrategically, South Caucasus is an important region, mostly because of its energy resources and its strategic position, which is shown through historical events in the territory of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and direct vicinity. The so-called Near abroad – an important concept in the geopolitics of Russian Federation has a great significance for that countrythis is evident when analysing the foreign policy decisions of the top of state and the national security strategy, especially during the presidency of Vladimir Putin. In the background of Putin\u27s presidency, the ideology of Eurasianism is revealed, striving to unite the territory of the former Soviet Union. The significance of the South Caucasus in the contemporary geopolitical thought of the Russian Federation is thus marked by the struggle for influence or dominance over this area, between the Russian Federation and many other counties of the international community