Reconfiguring the Economic–Security Nexus: Global Spillovers of the Russia–Ukraine War

Abstract

This article explores how the Russia–Ukraine conflict has reshaped the relationship between economic stability and security, with global impacts that extend far beyond the immediate conflict zone. Rather than emphasising military confrontation alone, the analysis suggests that the most significant security implications arise from economic interdependence, particularly through disruptions to food systems, energy markets, trade networks, and financial conditions. Using complex interdependence theory, the study views these disruptions as mechanisms through which economic shocks can translate into security risks on regional and global scales. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study combines peer-reviewed academic research, institutional reports, and reputable datasets published between 2022 and 2025 to illustrate how the conflict’s economic repercussions spread across interconnected economies. The results indicate that weaponising energy resources, disruptions to grain and fertiliser exports, inflationary trends, and tighter global financial conditions have created uneven vulnerabilities across different regions. These vulnerabilities are particularly severe in the Global South, where reliance on imported food and energy, limited fiscal capacity, and high debt levels increase susceptibility to external shocks. These economic disruptions threaten livelihoods, challenge government capacity, and raise the risk of social instability and increased human mobility, including displacement and forced migration.