The Geopolitical Competition between Russia and U.S. in Ukraine (2004- 2017)

According to Halford Mackinder’s theory of the Heartland, dominating of the Eastern Europe is key to dominate the Heartland, and dominating of the Heartland is key to dominate the world. Ukraine is one of the main components of the so-called Heartland. The recent Ukraine crisis is an important US-Russian geopolitical confrontation followed by various international disputes. This competition reminds expert the Cold War. This study is conducted using the descriptive-analytical method. Data are gathered from library sources. This research investigates the geopolitical importance of Ukraine for Russia and the US. The results show that the main reason for the conflict in Ukraine is the US-Russian geopolitical competition.