Strategy&Future

The Eternal Return and Eastern Europe. The Geopolitical Tragedy that Never Ends. Part 4 of 4

The Times of the Troubles has one additional feature: the erection of an enormous and sophisticated system of fortifications and military bases along the entire geopolitical zone of contact, that stretched hundreds of kilometres. The concentration of defence lines and fortifications was maybe the greatest in Europe.

The high intensity of geopolitical dynamics requires states to have a sophisticated toolkit of military instruments, including developing paramilitary and proxy military units to conduct a multilayered war. The proxies in Eastern Europe were perfect asymmetric instruments for achieving political and geopolitical goals. Still, often, they were symbols of the crisis of statehood in the countries where they operated or they caused existential threats, as in the case of Poland and Russia.

The Eternal Return of Eastern Europe, or the tidal fluctuations of turmoil and wartime (Times of Trouble), can be outlined through five fundamental principles.

The invasion of Ukraine became a serious trigger for the development of military writings inside Russia. Since the beginning of the war, many books have been published that describe the Russian military and geopolitical mindset and conduct. These books were often published for propagandist purposes, but the old Western school of Sovietology teaches us that to win over the enemy, we must grasp his way of thinking and find his weaknesses. Without objective analysis of political and military thought, it is easy to fall into imaginary theorisation which does not correspond with reality.

Kirill Romanovsky’s “Eight Years with Wagner” (2023). Part 2

The invasion of Ukraine became a serious trigger for the development of military writings inside Russia. Since the beginning of the war, many books have been published that describe the Russian military and geopolitical mindset and conduct. These books were often published for propagandist purposes, but the old Western school of Sovietology teaches us that to win over the enemy, we must grasp his way of thinking and find his weaknesses. Without objective analysis of political and military thought, it is easy to fall into imaginary theorisation which does not correspond with reality.

It may sound like a paradox but the primary beneficiaries of the multipolar world are the countries of the Global South. The Central Asian republics and many other former colonial states (including those states who suffered due to neocolonialism) have finally found the panacea, which is multipolarity.

“Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island; who rules the World-Island commands the world.” Halford Mackinder, “Democratic Ideals and Reality”[1] [1] Colin S. Gray, “The Geopolitics of Super Power”, University Press of Kentucky, 1988 p.9

Sergei Korolev (1906-1966) is a legendary figure of the 21st century and is considered one of the “fathers” of space exploration. He was a Soviet scientist and designer of rocket and space systems. Elon Musk, the world’s most prominent space populariser and inventor, has frequently stated that Soviet/Russian space heritage has had a particular impact on his work.

The decision of Beijing to publicly propose a peace resolution plan for the war in Ukraine was determined by many factors, however, the key component was that China decided to act as a global-scale arbiter. As a hegemon, Beijing stays above the belligerent sides.

Together with its One Belt One Road initiative, in 2012, China presented the Community of Common Destiny for Humankind. Initially, the very phrase was used to express China-Taiwan relations, but in 2011, this concept was extended to encompass the whole world and was incorporated into the global strategy of China.