Abstract

This study is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of geopolitical processes in the Eastern European region with an emphasis on the foreign policy activity of global and regional actors. The historical conditionality and evolution of interstate relations between two large Eastern European states in the context of the post-Soviet space are considered. Particular attention is paid to the transformation of the political landscape after independence by one of the subjects of research and subsequent centrifugal trends in certain territorial entities. The methodological base of the study includes comparative analysis, a systematic approach and content analysis of official documents, which makes it possible to form a multifaceted idea of the strategic positions of key geopolitical players: the People's Republic of China, the United States of America, the European Union and direct participants in regional processes. The findings allow us to state the presence of a complex configuration of interests of direct and indirect participants in interstate interaction, each of which seeks to maximize its geopolitical and economic advantages in the context of the transformation of the regional security architecture.