Contemporary Interventions and Regionalism: The Cases of Ukraine and Venezuela

Abstract

The international domain is characterized by diverse interventionist policies, wherein conflicts that escalate beyond the control of a nation often attract external intervention from neighbouring states, regional powers, or the broader international community. Such interventions, sanctioned under Chapter VII of the United Nations (UN) Charter by the Security Council, can range from military actions to non-forceful measures. However, interventions frequently occur both with and without formal authorization, driven by the foreign policy priorities of the intervening actors and the perceived urgency of the conflict. In the contemporary global environment, major powers increasingly leverage their regional influence either to mediate regional disputes or justify intervention in the internal affairs and external engagements of specific states. The 21st century has witnessed a pronounced trend among great powers to shape their foreign policy strategies around their regionalist roles. This thesis seeks to scrutinize the interventionist behaviours of regional great powers, focusing on the recent cases of Ukraine and Venezuela. It aims to dissect the dynamics of regionalism as it pertains to interventionism, providing a comparative analysis of US interventionism and regionalism in Venezuela, and Russian interventionism and regionalism in Ukraine. By examining these contemporary cases, it endeavours to elucidate the interplay between regionalism and interventionism, highlighting both similarities and differences in the approaches and impacts of these regional superpowers.