Authors

  • Bidzina Lebanidze

    Dr.Bidzina Lebanidze is the visiting lecturer at Berlin School of Economics and Law, researcher at Free University of Berlin and associated fellow at Kolleg-Forschergruppe “The Transformative Power of Europe”. Since 2014 he has been conducting a research within the FP7 project MAXCAP (Maximizing the integration capacity of the European Union). He obtained his PhD degree in political science from Free University of Berlin, and Master’s degree in international relations from Tbilisi State University. Previously, he also worked for the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation and lectured at Ilia State University

  • Salome Kandelaki

    Salome Kandelaki is currently a Project Coordinator and Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. Salome is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Tbilisi State University. She is an invited lecturer at the European University, Georgia.  In 2017, she obtained her MA degree in Political Science from the Central European University Budapest. At the same time, she was specialized in Comparative Politics. Moreover, she has the second Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the joint program of German University of Administrative Sciences and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. Her previous work experience includes Fundraising Management at the Social Justice Center (former EMC).  She was also a leading acting specialist at the Tbilisi City Assembly as well as project management in different youth non-governmental organizations. Her field of experience is comparative case-study analyses with a particular focus on religion and democracy, regionalism and democratization. Among her research interests are Europeanization, frozen conflicts as well as secularism in Europe.

21/11/2022 Bidzina Lebanidze

Impact of the Russia-​Ukraine War on Black Sea Geopolitics

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Authors

  • Bidzina Lebanidze

    Dr.Bidzina Lebanidze is the visiting lecturer at Berlin School of Economics and Law, researcher at Free University of Berlin and associated fellow at Kolleg-Forschergruppe “The Transformative Power of Europe”. Since 2014 he has been conducting a research within the FP7 project MAXCAP (Maximizing the integration capacity of the European Union). He obtained his PhD degree in political science from Free University of Berlin, and Master’s degree in international relations from Tbilisi State University. Previously, he also worked for the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation and lectured at Ilia State University

  • Salome Kandelaki

    Salome Kandelaki is currently a Project Coordinator and Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. Salome is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Tbilisi State University. She is an invited lecturer at the European University, Georgia.  In 2017, she obtained her MA degree in Political Science from the Central European University Budapest. At the same time, she was specialized in Comparative Politics. Moreover, she has the second Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the joint program of German University of Administrative Sciences and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. Her previous work experience includes Fundraising Management at the Social Justice Center (former EMC).  She was also a leading acting specialist at the Tbilisi City Assembly as well as project management in different youth non-governmental organizations. Her field of experience is comparative case-study analyses with a particular focus on religion and democracy, regionalism and democratization. Among her research interests are Europeanization, frozen conflicts as well as secularism in Europe.

Maksym Khylko

Hanna Shelest

Armen Grigoryan

Anar Valiyev

Ahmad Alili

Fidan Namazova

Publish Date:
21-11-2022

© Originally Published: CSS ETH Zurich

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine turned the European security order upside down. Many European countries are in the process of rethinking their security arrangements to better adapt to the deteriorated geopolitical environment. Most affected by Russia’s aggressive policies are, however, the so-called new Eastern European states located in the wider Black Sea region and considered part of its Near Abroad by Russia. This special issue explores the perceptions of political elites and foreign policy communities towards Russia’s recent geopolitical assertiveness in Ukraine and the countries of the South Caucasus—which build an important part of the Black Sea’s political and economic ecosystem.

The contributions of this special issue provide an interesting comparative perspective of how local foreign policy communities in the South Caucasus and Black Sea countries view geopolitical and security challenges in the Black Sea area emanating from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Maksym Khylko and Hanna Shelest provide a view of Black Sea security from Ukraine and explore the potential for cooperation between Ukraine and the South Caucasus states. Armen Grigoryan explores the impact of the Russia–Ukraine war on Armenia and analyses Armenian perceptions about shifting geopolitical circumstances in the South Caucasus and the Black Sea area. Anar Valiyev, Ahmad Alili and Fidan Namazova discuss the implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine for Azerbaijan’s balancing foreign policy and Baku’s “silent diplomacy” in the Black Sea region and beyond. Finally, Bidzina Lebanidze and Salome Kandelaki unpack the Georgian views of the changing Black Sea security dynamics after the Russia–Ukraine war and discuss its implications for Georgia’s foreign and domestic policy.

This special issue is partially based on the collaborative research project financially supported by the European Union and the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation.

Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 130 | November 2022

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Bidzina Lebanidze

Dr.Bidzina Lebanidze is the visiting lecturer at Berlin School of Economics and Law, researcher at Free University of Berlin and associated fellow at Kolleg-Forschergruppe “The Transformative Power of Europe”. Since 2014 he has been conducting a research within the FP7 project MAXCAP (Maximizing the integration capacity of the European Union). He obtained his PhD degree in political science from Free University of Berlin, and Master’s degree in international relations from Tbilisi State University. Previously, he also worked for the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation and lectured at Ilia State University