THE DIGITAL DIMENSION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION’S POLICY IN THE EAEU: FEATURES OF ASYMMETRIC INTEGRATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2292.2026/1-62/72-79Keywords:
Eurasian Economic Union, Russian Federation, asymmetric integration, digital hegemony, integrated information system, platform ecosystems, technological sovereignty, supranational data governanceAbstract
The formation of a unified digital space has become a key trend of regional integration, turning platforms, standards, and data into instruments of geo-economic power. In the post-Soviet region, the digital dimension has gained particular political significance due to Russia’s efforts to institutionalize its “privileged interests” within the EAEU. Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine and subsequent sanctions have further reinforced the EAEU as a controlled space for promoting Russian technological solutions and the concept of “technological sovereignty.” The article analyses the mechanisms of Russia’s digital dominance in the EAEU and assesses digital integration as a tool of asymmetric governance.
Methods. The study applies an institutional-legal and political-economic framework combined with comparative and case-study approaches. It is based on the analysis of Russian strategic documents and EAEU regulatory acts, including the Digital Agenda 2025 and the Integrated Information System. The theoretical foundation draws on concepts of digital power, network governance, cyberspace control, and “weaponized interdependence.”
Results. The study demonstrates that EAEU digital integration has shifted from technical coordination to a model of supranational governance consolidating Russia’s dominance. It identifies three stages: a normative-architectural phase (2017–2020), a regulatory phase (2021–2024), and an institutionalised phase (since 2025) constrained by uneven digital maturity and the impact of the war. Russia’s dominance is reinforced through the integration of its digital ecosystems (Sber, Rostelecom, Yandex, VK, Mir, GLONASS), while quantitative indicators confirm internal asymmetry, with Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan ranking 28th, 42nd, and 81st respectively in the UN EGDI (2022).
Conclusions. EAEU digital integration operates not as a neutral techno-economic project but as a politically driven instrument of Russian digital expansion and the reproduction of “privileged interests” through standards, data architecture, and platform ecosystems. The key asymmetry lies in the projection of Russia’s state-centric model of technological sovereignty onto the supranational level, compelling partner states to adapt to Russia’s technological logic. Prospects for deeper integration are limited by structural imbalances, investment constraints, sanctions, and declining trust after 2022. Further research should examine member states’ dependence on Russian platforms and assess cyber-sovereignty risks in comparison with the EU regulatory model.
Keywords: Eurasian Economic Union, Russian Federation, asymmetric integration, digital hegemony, integrated information system, platform ecosystems, technological sovereignty, supranational data governance.
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