The Russo-Georgian relationship - A case-study of how security dynamics shaped the relationship

Sammanfattning: We analyse Georgia's and Russia’s relationship through four major historical events. These are: the Georgian independence, the Rose revolution, the Georgian energy crisis and Georgia’s approach to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). We examine how the dynamics behind the selected events shape the Russo-Georgian relationship between the time span of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the Georgian War in 2008. The Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) gave us a regional approach, which we hold suits the paper’s aim well, as we analysed Russia’s and Georgia’s relationship in the post-Soviet region through a theoretical framework. The disciplined-configurative method gave us the means for taking both a materialist and constructivist approach. Our purpose with this paper is to examine how different security sectors and perceptions of security may affect states’ relationships. Our findings show that their relationship has with the occurrence of the four events gone towards enmity. We also found indications of Georgia trying to distance itself from Russian influence, by seeking western integration.