Ukraine’s Policy in the Caspian Region in 1991–2024: From Multi-Vector to Crisis

Ukraine’s post-Soviet foreign policy in the Caspian region is reflected in doctrines, bilateral and multilateral agreements, and statutory documents, as well as in the actual steps performed by the country in this direction in 1991–2024. The article describes various aspects of the Caspian vector, e.g., regional priorities, local and international institutions, and areas of interaction (energy, logistics, etc.). The authors combined the principles of historicism and objectivity with the middle range theory and Stephen Krasner’s regime theory to conduct a comparative historical and chronological study of political documents and actual results. Ukraine could have become a link between the entire Caspian region or some of its states and the rest of the world, thus catalyzing the development of a prosperous Black Sea-Caspian region. However, it either missed these opportunities or failed to implement them. The reasons included poorly strategized foreign policy, when the country dispersed its limited resources on a multi-vector course, replacing its actual interests with abstract slogans about the European choice while choosing political conjuncture over long-term prospects.