AFRICAN AND LATIN AMERICAN VECTOR OF GEOSTRATEGY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/apmv.2018.134.0.53-65Abstract
Abstract. It is proved that even despite economic problems, Russia is trying to demonstrate
the status of a strategic partner for the African and Latin American countries through the conclusion
of various types of partnership agreements. Therefore, since 2000, Russia has sought to
reestablish its influence in these regions, which were the traditional sphere of the USSR’s presence
during the Cold War. The Russian Federation also tries to win favor among the circle of
African countries through the abolition of former Soviet debts and the establishment of eco-
Актуальні проблеми міжнародних відносин. Випуск 134. 2018 53
© Кондратенко О. Ю. 2018
nomic ties, mainly of a commercial nature. Participation in peacekeeping missions in African
countries is also considered by Russia as a demonstration of presence in the region. However,
Russia risks to be pushed out of the region by China, which as a more powerful rival considers
Africa as a landfill for the implementation of the geo-economic "conquest" strategy. The key
countries for implementing the strategy of restoring Russia’s presence in the region are Cuba,
Venezuela, Nicaragua and partially Brazil. On the background of the individual maneuvers of
Russian Air Force and Navy, Moscow makes periodic declarations on the restoration of former
Soviet military bases in the Latin American countries. However, such rhetoric of the Russian Federation
can be considered more to a degree as geopolitical PR in order to represent Russia’s virtual
grandeur.
Key words: Russian Federation, geopolitics, geostrategy, geopolitical influence, Africa,
Latin America.
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