Security aspects of natural resource management: Case studies of Kosmet and Donbass

The violent geopolitical events initiated by the 2014 Ukraine war have been accompanied by issues concerning the contestation of sovereign rights over the exploitation of natural resources and the distribution of final products resulting from their processing to end-users (individuals, states, multinational corporations, and business entities). A similar situation of unstable security conditions and widespread war turmoil, characterized by violations of property rights over the management of natural resources, has been present in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija since the 1990s and continues to this day. By applying various research techniques from the social sciences, extensive data on the complex characteristics of both regions have been gathered. Their common feature is the abundance of natural resources and political issues in whose resolution international actors, primarily states with great power status, dominate. Comparative research of the Kosovo and Metohija region and Donbass aims to systematically describe the role of natural resources in conflicts within national borders, as well as in the geopolitical competition of leading international political actors. The study employs historical-comparative analysis of both regions, content analysis techniques of various documents generated within state institutions, non-governmental organizations, and other scientific research organizations (desk data analysis), as well as narrative analysis techniques. The results of this research indicate the significance of natural resource exploitation for the internal socio-economic stability of Serbia and Ukraine. The overall international security situation (particularly the case of Donbass and examples of energy and food crises) highlights that both regions possess rare natural resources upon which the further development of modern technology in both the civilian and military sectors depends.