The Moldovan application for EU membership might create another front of the confrontation between Moscow and Brussels in a period of time characterised by European sanctions due to the Russian military invasion in Ukraine.
In the emerging realities of international relations, it seems crucial to develop an understanding of how the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which escalated in 2022, will affect the situation in various regions of Eurasia, for example, in the Caspian region, which after the collapse of the USSR turned into one of the most important and complex geopolitical problems of international relations.
Until now, the Ukrainian conflict has not changed the situation in the Russian influence areas where regional players mainly preferred to maintain neutrality and avoid any confrontation with Moscow.
The Ukraine conflict has attracted the attention of foreign fighters eager to fight against the Russian troops and the Chechen kadyrovtsy. If the war lasts longer than Moscow planned, there is a severe threat that Ukraine might evolve into a battleground where foreign fighters will promote terrorism and jihadist propaganda.
As clashes in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities escalate, Brussels is discussing additional manoeuvres to strike Russia, although Moscow might have adopted counter-measures based on alternative gas pipelines to export its natural gas to the Asian markets and support its economy.
As long as Russian and Ukrainian troops are fighting each other on the ground, Anonymous started cyber warfare against the Kremlin, showing that in the 21st century, countries and non-state actors might fight a war on different levels.
The Chechen kadyrovtsy might have been deployed in Ukraine to support the Russian troops. This news caused the reaction of the Caucasus Emirate and underlined the important role that Chechnya plays in the Kremlin's foreign policy and military strategy.
The Ukrainian army announced that fights are underway in the north of Kyiv underlying the Kremlin's desire to conquer the Ukrainian capital, neutralise the military capabilities and overthrow the Government.
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which has just begun, could also have implications in the sphere of the operations and propaganda of the Salafist-jihadist organisations.
Since the early morning hours, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has affected the financial markets, particularly the Russian economy, creating fears and scepticism among investors and the Russian citizens.