the “Yalta order” 1945 Ялтинський порядок 1945 (ua)

marked the apogee of Russia-USSR great power status. Moscow’s current geopolitical ambitions build upon two main elements of this order. The first one is the division of Europe into zones of influence and entrusting great powers with keeping these zones stable; nowadays, this idea would imply the recognition of the post-Soviet area as a sphere of exclusive influence, alongside the privileged interests of Russia. The other is the concept of "non-equal sovereignty", where only great powers with strong military potential enjoy full sovereignty, while the independence of other states is limited by definition: they are expected to consider the interests of the powerful international actors as the main guideline for their foreign and domestic policies. By this logic, Central and East European countries are expected to embody Russian security interests rather than their own, which would be tantamount to the creation of a sort of security buffer zone in this region.