The collapse of the Soviet Union led to a decade or more of instability and decay in Russia and its former domains all of which are now largely independent nation states. That said, there have been countless conflicts in the intervening years and many of them are associated with energy security and the rising cost of hydrocarbon fuels.
Researchers in Spain have analysed the history and the socioeconomic history with regard to the three secessionist conflicts in Eastern Europe (Crimea, Donbass, and Transnistria) and suggest that many Russian geo-energy commercial interests have benefited considerably from these crises.
The research illustrates the direct and clear connection between Russia’s intervention in those three conflicts and the defence of Russian geo-energy interests in the post-Soviet era, the team concludes, this is especially pertinent with regard to the rise to power of Vladimir Putin who became President in 2000, at the end of the first decade of the post-Soviet era.
Peña-Ramos, J.A. and Amirov, D.S. (2018) ‘The role of geo-energy interests of Russia in secessionist conflicts in Eastern Europe’, Int. J. Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, Vol. 18, Nos. 3/4, pp.485–511.