The Black Sea Dimension of Ukraine’s Foreign Policy Expertise in the Context of the Armed Conflict with Russia
Research Article
How to Cite
Onopko O.V. The Black Sea Dimension of Ukraine’s Foreign Policy Expertise in the Context of the Armed Conflict with Russia. Vlast’ (The Authority). 2025. Vol. 33. No. 2. P. 48-58. (in Russ.).
Abstract
The article attempts to make a comprehensive analysis of the state of the Black Sea direction in Ukraine's foreign policy expertise. Based on a theoretical and methodological approach that combines B. Buzan’s and O. Wæver's theories of securitization, P. Haas's concept of epistemic communities, and G. O’Tuathail's critical geopolitics, the author identifies the range of institutions involved; analyzes their participation in the preparation and coordination of the implementation of Ukraine's Maritime Security Strategy (2024); outlines the main issues that these organizations are researching in the context of the conflict with Russia; and examines the work of the expert network of the Crimean Platform as one of the actors in Ukraine's expert diplomacy. The paper establishes that the Black Sea direction of Ukraine's foreign policy expertise is currently represented by the National Institute for Strategic Studies, the Center for Globalization «Strategy XXI», the Institute for Black Sea Strategic Studies, the Center for Defense Strategies, and other organizations. These entities have formed a networked community of expert structures with shared geopolitical views, ideological (Ukrainian nationalist) and theoretical (primarily realist) frameworks, focusing on international relations, defense, and security in the Black Sea Region. Currently, Ukrainian expert structures pay particular attention to issues of maritime trade, naval threats, and international political challenges related to the establishment of a new security architecture in the Black Sea Region. The author emphasizes that Ukrainian think tanks are actively working on generating asymmetric anti-Russian initiatives in the fields of defense and security, including developing new methods to counter Russia's military presence in the Black Sea, and seeking ways to enhance Western military support for Ukraine. The author concludes that the Ukrainian expert community plays a significant role in shaping Ukraine's anti-Russian policy in the Black Sea Region. Its activities require careful analysis by Russian scientific, diplomatic, military, and intelligence communities.
Keywords:
foreign policy expertise, foreign policy of Ukraine, Black Sea Region, think tanks
References
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Prognozuvannya deyakikh rizikіv dlya bezpeki Єvropi na pochatku 2025 roku. Chastina 1. 17.12.2024. – BlackSeaNews. URL: https://www.blackseanews.net/read/225017 (Accessed 13.03.2025). (RUS.)
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Svіtova gіbridna vіina: ukraїns'kii front (za zag. red. V.P. Gorbulіna). 2017. K.: NІSD. 496 s.
Baranov A.V., Vashchenko A.V., Konyshev V.N., Shasheva S.V. 2021. Sovremennye mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya v Chernomorskom regione: geopoliticheskii aspekt. Krasnodar: Izd-vo KubGU. 292 s. (RUS.)
Bocharnikov I.V. 2015. Chernoe more kak odin iz osnovnykh teatrov protivostoyaniya Rossii i NATO v ukrainskom krizise. – Konfliktologiya / Nota Bene. № 1. S. 59-64. (RUS.)
Genyush S.V. 2012. Ekspertnaya diplomatiya: grazhdanskoe obshchestvo na sluzhbe vneshnei politiki. – Problemnyi analiz i gosudarstvenno-upravlencheskoe proektirovanie. T. 5. № 5. S. 14-25. (RUS.)
Gudev P.A. 2023. Rossiisko-ukrainskoe protivostoyanie v Chernom more cherez prizmu «zernovoi sdelki». – Puti k miru i bezopasnosti. № 2(65). S. 148-168. (RUS.)
Irkhin A.A., Demeshko N.E. 2023. Ukraina v protsessakh postsovetskoi integratsii v period mira: nesostoyavshiisya proekt i prichiny upushchennykh vozmozhnostei. – Mezhdunarodnaya zhizn'. № 1. S. 26-35. (RUS.)
Kurylev K.P., Gavrikova K.V., Pospelova E.A. 2015. Ekspertno-analiticheskie tsentry na Ukraine: kharakter i osobennosti. – Vestnik Rossiiskogo universiteta druzhby narodov. Ser. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya. T. 15. № 3. S. 99-109. (RUS.)
Lysak V.F., Ageeva E.L. 2015. Sovremennye ukrainskie «mozgovye tsentry» kak sub"ekty obshchestvenno-politicheskogo protsessa v gosudarstve. – Gileya: nauchnyi vestnik. № 95. S. 377-382. (RUS.)
Khrustalev M.A. 2008. Analiz mezhdunarodnykh situatsii i politicheskaya ekspertiza: ocherki teorii i metodologii. M.: Izd-vo NOFMO. 232 s. (RUS.)
Bremmer I., Roubini N. 2011. A G-Zero World. – Foreign Affairs. Vol. 90. Is. 2. P. 2-7. (RUS.)
Buzan B.G., Wæver O., de Wilde J.H. 1998. Security: A New Framework for Analysis. London: Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. 126 p. (RUS.)
Cropsey S. 2022. Naval Considerations in the Russo-Ukrainian War. – Naval War College Review. Vol. 75. No. 4. P. 11-36. (RUS.)
Fink M. 2022. Naval Blockade and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. – Netherlands International Law Review. Vol. 69. No. 3. P. 411-437. (RUS.)
Forging the New Black Sea Security Architecture in the Flames of the War. 2024. – Centre for Defense Strategies. URL: https://defence.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/forging-the-new-Black-Sea-Security-Architecture-in-the-flames-of-the-war.pdf (Accessed 13.03.2025). (RUS.)
Haas P.M. 1992. Introduction: Epistemic Communities and International Policy. – Coordination. International Organization. Vol. 46. Is. 1. R. 1-35. (RUS.)
Russian Tactics Targeting Ukrainian Critical Energy Infrastructure (Mykhailo Gonchar, Andrii Chubyk, Serhiy Diachenko, Oksana Ishchuk, Pavlo Lakiychuk, Tantely Ratovohery, Ihor Stukalenko). 2024. – Synerging Energies. URL: https://geostrategy.org.ua/analityka/doslidzhennya/rosiyska-taktyka-urazhennya-krytychnoyi-energetychnoyi-infrastruktury-ukrayiny/download-report-pdf (Accessed 13.03.2025). (RUS.)
The Impact of Ukraine’s Asymmetric Approach on Russian Sea Power in the Black Sea. April, 2024. – Centre for Defense Strategies. URL: https://defence.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/The-impact-of-Ukraine’s-asymmetric-approach-on-russian-sea-power-in-the-black-sea.pdf (Accessed 14.03.2025). (RUS.)
Tuathail G.Ó., Agnew J. 1992. Geopolitics and Discourse. – Political Geography. Vol. 11. No. 2. R. 190-204. (RUS.)
Vorotnyuk M. 2024. Black Sea as a Battlefield: Ukraine’s Perspectives and Strategies in the Region. – Security Dynamics in the Black Sea Region: Geopolitical Shifts and Regional Orders. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. P. 111-128. (RUS.)
Bezpekovі vakuumi yak naslіdok vіini Rosії proti Ukraїni: otsіnka vplivu і mozhlivі shlyakhi podolannya. 2021. – Synerging Energies. URL: https://geostrategy.org.ua/analityka/analitychna-zapyska/bezpekovi-vakuumy-yak-naslidok-viyny-rosiyi-proty-ukrayiny-ocinka-vplyvu-i-mozhlyvi-shlyahy-podolannya/zavantazhyty-analitychnu-zapysku-pdf (Accessed 14.06.2021). (RUS.)
Vakuum bezpeki v Chornomors'komu regіonі: tekst dopovіdі. 2023. – Synerging Energies. URL: https://geostrategy.org.ua/analityka/dopovidi-ta-prezentaciyi/mizhnarodnyy-forum-ekspertnoyi-merezhi-mizhnarodnoyi-krymskoyi-platformy/speech-text-ua (Accessed 13.03.2025). (RUS.)
Vіis'kovii chi diplomatichnii shlyakh zvіl'nennya okupovanogo Krimu: ekspertna otsіnka. 2024. – Synerging Energies. URL: https://geostrategy.org.ua/analityka/analitychna-zapyska/viyskovyy-chy-dyplomatychnyy-shlyah-zvilnennya-okupovanogo-krymu-ekspertna-ocinka (Accessed 13.03.2025). (RUS.)
Maєvs'ka O. 2019. Dіyal'nіst' «mozkovikh tsentrіv» na suchasnomu etapі: zagrozi ta vikliki. – Vіsnik L'vіvs'kogo unіversitetu. Ser. Fіlosofs'ko-polіtologіchnі studії. Vip. 26. S. 145-151. (RUS.)
Natsіonal'na stіikіst' Ukraїni: strategіya vіdpovіdі na vikliki ta viperedzhennya gіbridnikh zagroz: natsіonal'na dopovіd' (red. kol. S.І. Pirozhkov, O.M. Maiboroda, N.V. Khamіtov, Є. . Golovakha, S.S. Dembіts'kii, V.A. Smolіi, O.V. Skripnyuk, S.V. Stoєts'kii). 2022. K.: Іnstitut polіtichnikh і etnonatsіonal'nikh doslіdzhen' іm. І.F. Kurasa NAN Ukraїni. 552 s. (RUS.)
Plyushch O. 2012. Prosuvannya ekspertnimi organіzatsіyami diskursu polіtichnikh sub’єktіv. – Sotsіal'na psikhologіya. № 1-2(51-52). S. 204-214. (RUS.)
Prognozuvannya deyakikh rizikіv dlya bezpeki Єvropi na pochatku 2025 roku. Chastina 1. 17.12.2024. – BlackSeaNews. URL: https://www.blackseanews.net/read/225017 (Accessed 13.03.2025). (RUS.)
Rzhevs'ka N. 2012. «Mozkovі tsentri» yak sub'єkti ekspertnogo seredovishcha: funktsіonal'nii analіz. – Polіtichnii menedzhment. № 1-2. S. 161-169. (RUS.)
Rosіis'ka polіtika v Chornomors'komu regіonі: zagrozi i vikliki dlya Ukraїni (red. kol. І. Veremіi, M. Palamarchuk). 2020. K.: NІSD. 37 s. (RUS.)
Rud' І.M. 2023. Balto-Chornomors'kii soyuz yak vіs' bezpeki Ukraїni: realії ta perspektivi rozvitku. – Vіsnik NTUU «KPІ» Polіtologіya. Sotsіologіya. Pravo. № 2(58). S. 86-91. (RUS.)
Svіtova gіbridna vіina: ukraїns'kii front (za zag. red. V.P. Gorbulіna). 2017. K.: NІSD. 496 s.
Article
Received: 12.05.2025
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Onopko, O. V. (2025). The Black Sea Dimension of Ukraine’s Foreign Policy Expertise in the Context of the Armed Conflict with Russia. Vlast’ (The Authority), 33(2), 48-58. Retrieved from https://www.jour.fnisc.ru/index.php/vlast/article/view/10612
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