The EU, the EEU, and the War in Ukraine: Political Risks and Management Options

Editorial
Dear Reader,
This special issue entitled “The EU, the EEU, and the War in Ukraine: Political
Risks and Management Options” is published within the framework of
the Jean Monnet Network project “The EU and the EEU: Between Conflict
and Competition, Convergence and Cooperation” (EUCON). The aim of this project co-funded by the
­Erasmus+ programme is to explore the complexity of relations between the European Union and the
Eurasian Economic Union.
Andreas Breinbauer
Head of the Academic Council of
the University of Applied Sciences
BFI Vienna
In the first contribution, Hannes Meissner and Johannes Leitner zero in on the dramatic geopolitical
changes currently taking place against the backdrop of the Russian attack on Ukraine. They analyse
the possible effects on enterprises and provide an outlook on new risk management strategies in light
of Russia’s strong influence on post-Soviet countries.
The second paper, by Florence Ertel and Julian Plottka, deals with the economic and political situation
in Kazakhstan. The authors assess the political risks resulting from recent developments, evaluate
the impact of the latter on traditional Kazakh “multi-vector foreign policy” and analyse the course of
current Kazakh foreign and economic policies.
The following contribution by Oxana Karnaukhova addresses the role of Central Asian countries within
a changing geopolitical context, arguing that on emerging markets economic sovereignty is a key
driver of regional development, a factor that must not be underestimated.
The paper by David Morris focusses on new technologies as a key battleground for the power contest
between the United States and China. Based on the Huawei business case, the author raises questions
about identifying, assessing and managing cyber risks and points out the challenges these issues
represent for the national security of a state.
In the fifth paper, Albert Hayrapetyan and Susanna Aghajanyan provide an insightful analysis of the
short- and long-term effects of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine on Armenia‘s economy, highlighting also
the impact of Armenia‘s policy of positioning itself as a tax haven for Russian companies.
We hope you find this special issue an interesting read and look forward to receiving your feedback!
Rector Prof. (FH) Dr. Andreas Breinbauer
Head of the Academic Council of the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna