Geopolitical Configurations on the Ponto-Baltic Isthmus in the Context of the Aggression in Ukraine

Abstract

"Starting the study from the theory of the Heartland, drawn up by Halford John Mackinder, according to which who rules Eastern Europe rules the world, we identify the geopolitical importance of the Ponto-Baltic isthmus. The region imaginarily bordered to the North by the Baltic Sea and to the South by the Black Sea has been a hotspot throughout history. Thus, the strategic importance of the Ponto-Baltic isthmus and the conflicting interests in the region are the current reasons for the confrontation between the Russian Federation and the West. The illegal aggression of the Russian state in Kyiv confirms the hypothesis that Moscow is the main threat to the security and territorial integrity of the states of the Ponto-Baltic region. In this respect, to become aware of the regional geopolitical realities, in the first part of the research both the geographical coordinates of the Ponto-Baltic isthmus and the historical coordinates stated at the national level will be outlined, in keeping with the writings of scholars such as Simion Mehedinți and Nicolae Iorga. Afterwards, the strategy of the Russian Federation in the region will be analysed, in relation to the permanent fuelling of conflicts on the territory of states that pursue their Euro-Atlantic vision. Romania’s role in the Ponto-Baltic region will also be identified, through its status of a regional pivot and a relevant actor in the process of consolidating NATO’s eastern flank. The research will be the result of the cross-use of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, for an in-depth approach to the subject under study."