Economic security as a driver of Russian exclave development in alignment with national interests

Abstract

Economic security in border regions emerged as a new area of inquiry in human geography, under the supervision of Prof Fedorov and with the active involvement of researchers from Kaliningrad, Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg, Smolensk, and Simferopol, within the framework of the Russian Science Foundation project № 18-17-00112, titled Ensuring the Economic Security of the Regions of Russia's Western Borderlands under Conditions of Geopolitical Turbulence. This study is the first attempt at a comprehensive examination of economic security, considering a multitude of contributing factors: economic, social, domestic and foreign policy-related, ethnic and environmental. The socio-geographical approach to economic security provides insight into its spatial conditionality, informing our studies on regional and sectoral economics. This article examines the Kaliningrad region's economic development from the perspective of its exclave position, border functions and potential for ensuring Russia's national interests. The assessment of the economic security of the region from 2000 to 2019, cited in earlier works, reveals a lack of resilience to external challenges and threats. In this article, we examine these results in the context of economic development quality and determinants, applying structural and resource-oriented approaches. It is demonstrated that, until 2022, the economic development of the Russian exclave did not fully align with national interests due to a prioritisation of international ties, often at the expense of interregional ones. Additionally, the region's openness was increasing, with insufficient attention given to ensuring its sustainability under external constraints. Seeking to address existing shortcomings, this article presents and substantiates proposed modifications that give due consideration to economic security. Specifically, it emphasises functional and structural transformations within the regional management system.