The Global Dimension of the 2008 Russo-Georgian War
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52340/splogos.2025.02.26Keywords:
Russian-Georgian conflict, geopolitical hegemony, separatism and ethnoconflict, Euro-Atlantic integration, regional securityAbstract
The study presents a comprehensive analysis of the 2008 Russian-Georgian war as an event of regional conflict with global dimensions, the examination of which is essential within the discourse of modern international relations theory, security studies, and geopolitical analysis. The article systematically highlights the revisionist and neo-imperialist foreign policy strategy of the Russian Federation, aimed at consolidating hegemony in the post-Soviet space and structurally undermining Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration process.
By employing a rigorous scientific framework, the article thoroughly examines the historical genesis of the conflict, the mechanisms of institutionalization of ethno-separatist movements, and the dynamics of forming “geopolitical echelons,” which contributed to a strategic shift in the balance of power in the South Caucasus. Special emphasis is placed on the vector of NATO integration as an existential threat perceived by the Kremlin, which directly triggered military escalation.
The article explicitly demonstrates the asymmetry and instrumental limitations of the West’s reaction, as the cornerstone of the collective security system, which created a deficit in the effectiveness of deterrence mechanisms and ultimately encouraged the aggressor state's behavior.
In its concluding part, the study argues that the August 2008 war represents a clear example of the systemic devaluation of international legal norms and obligations, fundamentally disrupting the international order based on the Westphalian model and undermining the stability of both regional and European security architectures.
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