The concept of Eurasian security
In the field of global geopolitics, the Eurasian region plays a key role, acting as a bridge between Europe and Asia and encompassing a vast expanse of diverse cultures, economies and political interests. The Eurasian security concept is designed to respond appropriately to a wide range of challenges, from traditional military threats to security issues such as energy security, climate change and transnational crime. At its core, it seeks to promote stability, cooperation and development throughout Eurasia, while eliminating external and internal risks that could destabilize the region.
Historical aspect of the formation of the security structure of Eurasia
Historical events such as the Crusades, the expansion and collapse of empires, the unification of peoples into single countries, two World Wars and numerous revolutions have influenced the formation of security architecture in Europe and Asia over the centuries. During the Cold War, most Eurasian countries were divided into two opposing camps: some countries supported the foreign policy, adhered to the ideology and values of the United States and joined NATO, while others supported the USSR and were members of the Warsaw Pact. Since these two nuclear powers took the lead in security issues not only in Eurasia but also in the world, a bipolar world was formed as a result. The rivalry between these states led to the emergence of many conflicts in the territories of other countries, such as the war between North and South Korea, crises in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Afghanistan. Throughout this confrontation, the USSR actively fought against unfriendly countries pursuing expansionist policies and exerting pro-Western influence on the social sphere. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the formation of new states, the foreign policy vector of the Russian Federation began to include not only strengthening ties with distant countries, but also building a positive dialogue with the former socialist republics in the post-Soviet space.
Taking advantage of the vulnerable position of the former Soviet Union, Western states adhered to the idea of NATO expansion to the borders of Russia, and also initiated color revolutions and protests aimed ultimately at destabilizing regional security, lowering the level of relations with the Russian Federation and increasing loyalty to the pro-Western course. Vivid examples of such influence are the revolutions in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the Karabakh conflict, and the coup d'état in Ukraine.
At the same time, in order to ensure regional security, the Russian Federation advocated for a peaceful resolution of critical international situations. Thus, in 2014-2015, with the mediation of Russia and the OSCE, documents were signed within the framework of the Minsk agreements, which were intended to facilitate the de-escalation of the conflict between Ukraine and the newly formed DPR and LPR. Russia also took preventive measures - in 2021, it sent the US drafts of a security treaty containing US commitments to exclude NATO expansion in the eastern direction, a ban on the use of third-party territories by both countries to prepare attacks on each other, as well as a US commitment not to create military bases on the territories of former Soviet republics. The drafts of this treaty remained without a constructive response from the US.
Multipolar Security
The special military operation in Ukraine, which has been conducted since 2022, has initiated changes in the world order, and, in particular, has given rise to the creation of a "multipolar world". The need to transition to a new model was due to the desire of many states to reduce the degree of dependence on the use of the dollar in the economy, as well as the level of involvement of the United States and Western countries in matters of ensuring global security. In this regard, current geopolitical events, NATO's aggressive actions and the politicization of the OSCE have become some of the reasons for the beginning of the formation of a new regional security structure. Thus, in June 2024, at the site of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Vladimir Putin proposed creating a new security system in Eurasia.
It is time to start a broad discussion of a new system of bilateral and multilateral guarantees of collective security in Eurasia.
The new security structure will be built on the principles of equal and indivisible security, mutually beneficial, equal cooperation and development. Presumably, it will function around the main intergovernmental regional organizations, such as the SCO, CSTO, CIS, EAEU, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), as well as the Union State of Belarus and Russia. The need to form continental security is also recognized by other countries. Thus, in July 2024, following the SCO summit in Astana, a corresponding declaration was adopted, which indicates that forceful methods have become more often used in building international relations, which is the reason for the need to modernize existing structures. At the same time, the document notes that cooperation within this intergovernmental organization can serve as the basis for creating an architecture for a secure Eurasia. Compliance with the principles of ensuring a single and indivisible security is also indicated by the adoption by the participating countries of the initiative "On world unity for a fair peace, harmony and development", which is aimed at ensuring the development of states, regardless of their political or economic model. Along with the SCO, the heads of the CSTO foreign ministries also came to an understanding of the need to begin work on creating a new security architecture.
We paid special attention in our discussions to the themes concerning the formation of the Eurasian security architecture, in place of those stability schemes that had a Euro-Atlantic dimension and that have discredited themselves.
The interest of the countries in building a constructive dialogue between themselves is evidenced by the agreement reached between the heads of the Chinese and Indian Foreign Ministries on the intention to resolve the conflict on the border of Ladakh and Aksai Chin and restore peace between the states, adopted on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Astana.
Given the expansion of the geography of states adhering to the idea of creating a new security concept, it is likely that interest will grow on the part of other regional intergovernmental organizations. Thus, Iran's participation as a member of the SCO may have a positive impact on neighboring Arab and Muslim countries and attract such associations as the League of Arab States and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. Thus, security issues, which include not only the de-escalation of armed military conflicts, but also the fight against transnational crime, terrorism, cybercrime, and ensuring economic security, will affect the countries of the Middle East, Transcaucasia, Central and Southeast Asia.
New Challenges to Continental Security
Given the current geopolitical threats, the countries of the continent have an incentive to accelerate security processes and create appropriate instruments. First of all, this is due to the militarization of the Asia-Pacific region by the United States, Japan and South Korea. Thus, in July 2024, the armed forces of the Republic of Korea and the United States of America conducted joint air exercises involving military aircraft, and Tokyo and Washington are working on a document on an extended deterrence policy, which will declare the right of the United States to defend Japan by all means, including nuclear weapons. Such actions pose a threat to the national security of Asia-Pacific countries, such as the DPRK, China and Russia.
Another important factor influencing Eurasian security is the provocations of NATO countries against Russia, which are aggravated by the supply of weapons, ammunition to Ukraine and the sending of foreign mercenaries to the combat zone. The desire of unfriendly states to continue escalating the conflict in Donbas is a direct signal that the policy of the North Atlantic Alliance is aimed at creating threats to Russia's sovereignty, which could potentially be transmitted from the countries of the South Caucasus, such as Georgia or Armenia. Since it is precisely because of the humanitarian and social influence of the West that the regions of Russia's near abroad have become potentially unstable, it is necessary to respond to current events in a timely manner in order to mitigate external risks. At the same time, the most pressing external risks for the countries of Eurasia include threats in the sphere of economic security. The unilaterally imposed sanctions against Russia, Iran, the DPRK, Syria, Myanmar and other countries indicate the desire of Western countries with developed economies to dictate their own terms in world markets, including the energy and mineral markets, and to politicize both international organizations such as the UN, OSCE, WTO, and individual economic instruments for containing states. In contrast, the concept of Eurasian security will have to assume economic integration of the continent's countries to ensure sustainable supply chains and equal conditions in the global market.
In the future, the new concept of Eurasian security will help the continent's states to respond to a variety of regional challenges, including national and economic security, as well as issues of social development, cultural interaction and climate change. Of the currently existing intergovernmental organizations, the role of the initial platform for the concept may be taken by the EAEU and the SCO, but it is possible that a new association may be created for such purposes. However, the question arises about the level of institutionalization of such an organization, which would subsequently provide an idea of the competencies of the participants in the concept.
