EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION AS AN INSTRUMENT OF ADAPTATION TO NEW GEOPOLITICAL REALITIES

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyze the role of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in the context of growing geopolitical tensions and expanding sanctions restrictions. The author examines how the integration mechanisms of the union contribute to the adaptation of member states to new challenges, including the reorientation of trade flows to eastern and southern directions, the development of transport and logistics corridors and the strengthening of settlements in national currencies. Special attention is paid to the economic interdependence of the EAEU states, which is a significant factor of stabilization in times of crisis. The importance of joint infrastructure projects, cooperation in industry and energy, as well as the role of the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD) as an instrument of anti-crisis support is emphasized. In a comparative context, it is revealed that the EAEU relies mainly on an intergovernmental approach and focuses on economic rather than political integration, which makes it similar to ASEAN, but different from the European Union. The influence of major external players - China, the European Union and the United States - on the development of the EAEU is examined, as well as the prospects for further expansion of partnership agreements with other countries. The conclusion points out that in the long term the EAEU can become one of the supporting centers of the multipolar world economy, provided that the remaining barriers are removed and supranational institutions within the union are deepened.