Osipov M.Yu. Geopolitics and international law: the problems of interaction

Abstract: The subject of this research is the analysis of geopolitical problems from the position of geopolitics, as well as the norms of international law. Special attention is given to the questions necessary for understanding the problems of interaction between geopolitics and international law: notion and concept of geopolitics; factors affecting geopolitics, such as geographical factors, loyalty of population, and struggle for the resources with consideration of the requirements of the norms of international law. The author also analyzes the various geopolitical strategies and suggests using the new methods of the analysis of geopolitical strategies, such as formal political analysis and comparative political analysis of geopolitical strategies. The analysis of the notion “geopolitics”, as well as the analysis of the principles and factors affecting geopolitics, conducted considering the norms of international law, comprises the basis of methodology of this research. The author concludes the geopolitics is a science that studies the regularities of one or other political strategies, including the regularities of their choice, and factors influencing them. Among the main factors that affect the choice of a geopolitical strategy are the following: geographical factors, including the problem of borders; loyalty of population; necessity of struggle for resources; and the norms of international law. Using the specific examples of Kosovo and Ukrainian crisis, the author demonstrates that the norms of international law in choosing one or another strategy would be upheld only under the conditions when the value of upholding the norms of international law supersedes the value of their violation. The article also presents the key methods of the analysis of geopolitical strategies.  

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