Shlapachenko D. Internal, regional and international factors in the evolution of the Kosovo conflict.

The dissertation researches internal, regional and international factors in the evolution of the Kosovo conflict. Particular emphasis was made on ideological and media-propaganda dimension of the conflict in Kosovo. The complexities of the modern political and ethnic conflicts are being significantly aided by a wide implementation of the new information and communication related technologies, which objectively facilitate re-activation of the radical nationalist ideologies which consequently become contributing factors to instability in the realms of national, regional and global security.An important tendency that was further analyzed in the dissertation is the declaration in February 2008 of the independence of the Republic of Kosovo, with all desired and undesired consequences of the "Kosovo precedent" for the formation of the new world order. The dissertation shows that one of the consequences of the Kosovo's declared independence resulted in conscious actions and efforts of the Russian Federation which targeted to unfreezing of the frozen conflicts in the territory of the former Soviet Union and as one of the examples it focuses on the subsequent recognition by the Russian Federation of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.