Abstract: The article is dedicated to a comprehensive analysis of the sustainable development issues of the Arctic region in the context of increasing climate changes, geopolitical tensions, and intensified anthropogenic pressure. The author views the Arctic not only as a unique ecosystem and resource base but also as a global climate regulator, the state of which directly affects the entire planet. The work emphasizes that the traditional paradigm of economic exploitation contradicts ecological imperatives, as fragile Arctic ecosystems have an extremely low capacity for self-recovery. Special attention is given to the consequences of permafrost thawing, which creates risks for critical infrastructure and releases greenhouse gases, as well as the problem of accumulated environmental damage from past economic activities. Challenges in energy sustainability are explored, including prospects for decarbonization and the use of renewable energy sources in harsh climate conditions. A significant part of the work is devoted to the social component of sustainability: demographic outflow, issues related to the northern supply, and the preservation of the traditional way of life of Indigenous peoples, whose adaptive practices hold intrinsic value. The methodological foundation of the research is a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach that combines methods from legal science, ecology, economics, and social geography. General scientific methods of cognition are employed, including dialectical, systemic-structural, and logical analysis. The author concludes that sustainable development in the Arctic requires a transition from targeted environmental protection measures to a holistic strategy based on a systemic balance between industrial development, ecological safety, and social justice, where the implementation of the best available technologies should precede the commercial exploitation of the region. Any strategies that ignore the extremely low assimilative capacity of Arctic ecosystems and their inability to rapidly self-recover are doomed to fail in the long term. Sustainable development of the region also involves its ability to maintain its ecological integrity and cultural identity while acting as a resource base and transportation corridor for the global economy. There is an ongoing need to seek a compromise between the pace of industrial development and the inertia of natural processes, as well as between global interests and the local needs of Indigenous inhabitants.

Keywords: sustainable development, Arctic region, ecosystems, permafrost, climate change, biodiversity, anthropogenic impact, indigenous peoples, decarbonization, social sustainability

Abstract: The article examines the relationship between universal jurisdiction and the principle of sovereign equality of states in contemporary international law. Increased attention to this issue is connected to the expanding practice of holding individuals accountable for international crimes outside the scope of territorial and personal jurisdiction, which inevitably affects the foundations of interstate interaction. The author argues that universal jurisdiction should not be viewed solely as an exception to the general regime of competence distribution among states. On the contrary, it reflects the development of a more complex model of legal regulation in which the protection of fundamental values of the international community is combined with the necessity of respecting sovereign rights of states. In this context, the problems of selectivity in the application of universal jurisdiction, its institutional heterogeneity, and the impact of this institution on the principle of sovereign equality are analyzed. The research methodology is based on a combination of general scientific and specialized legal methods. Analysis, synthesis, induction, and deduction, as well as systemic and dialectical approaches, are employed. Formal-legal and comparative-legal methods are applied, along with an analysis of law enforcement practices, revealing contradictions between universal jurisdiction and the principle of sovereign equality of states. The scientific novelty of the study lies in rethinking universal jurisdiction not as an isolated legal institution but as a dynamic mechanism formed at the intersection of the principle of sovereign equality of states and the concept of international responsibility. Unlike traditional approaches, the emphasis is placed on analyzing law enforcement practices, which allowed for the identification of hidden contradictions—extraterritoriality, selectivity, uncertainty of application criteria, and the risk of abuse of rights. It is concluded that universal jurisdiction serves as a compensatory tool in the face of ineffective national justice systems; however, its expansive application can undermine the balance of interstate relations. It is substantiated that its legitimacy directly depends on adherence to the principles of consent, subsidiarity, and good faith. It is shown that without the development of unified criteria and the strengthening of international coordination, this institution retains a high potential for legal uncertainty and conflict.

Keywords: universal jurisdiction, sovereign equality of states, international law, international crimes, erga omnes, state immunities, extraterritoriality, selectivity of law enforcement, fragmentation of international law, subsidiarity

Abstract: The article presents the main characteristics of non-tax payments made by businesses as a type of mandatory payments, identifies common features of non-tax payments and mandatory requirements, determined by the fact that they ensure the protection of the same legally protected values (the environment, consumer interests, state security, etc.). The views of foreign and Russian scholars on the nature of non-tax payments are examined, and the contradictions in the positions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation regarding the distinction between tax and non-tax payments are noted. The interdisciplinary nature of the researched issues is due to the fact that questions related to imposing obligations on businesses to pay non-tax payments lie at the intersection of various branches of law, affecting the property interests of broad layers of entrepreneurs. Methods of systemic analysis and teleological interpretation are applied to evaluate the processes of forming legal regulation of non-tax payments by businesses and the effectiveness of its application, as well as the comparative legal method to compare the legislation of Russia and foreign countries on the researched issue. As a result of the conducted research, common goals for establishing mandatory requirements and imposing obligations on business entities to pay non-tax payments have been identified. The necessity of systematizing non-tax payments for business entities at the legislative level is argued, as well as enhancing their effective use. It is proposed, by analogy with Federal Law No. 247-FZ of July 31, 2020, "On Mandatory Requirements in the Russian Federation," to develop and legislatively secure unified principles for the introduction of non-tax payments (legality, justification, legal certainty and systematics, targeted purpose, proportionality and fairness), as well as to evaluate the extent to which the state achieves the goals of collecting these payments, based on which a review of the corresponding legal regulation should be conducted, up to the abolition of non-tax payments that have become excessive.

Keywords: mandatory payments, non-tax payments, parafiscal payments, parallel tax system, tax, fee, register, environmental fee, Honest Sign, mandatory requirements

Abstract: The present article is devoted to researching the issue of the institutionalization of legal expertise of regulatory acts as an emerging legal practice in contemporary Russian law. The author examines the institutionalization of legal expertise as a significant characteristic of its formation as a practice, analyzes the current state of the expert community, and characterizes existing expert institutions, their legal and factual status. Special attention is paid in the article to the models of organization of the expert community applied both in Russia (including at the level of the subjects of the Russian Federation) and abroad. The study explores the diverse experiences of institutionalization of legal expertise in the post-Soviet space (Belarus and Kazakhstan), in European countries (France, Poland, etc.), and in other countries (in particular, Canada, Vietnam). The article employs a methodological toolkit traditional for legal research, including general scientific methods of cognition such as analysis and synthesis, the method of systems analysis, as well as special methods – formal-legal and comparative-legal. The novelty of the research lies in establishing a connection between the institutionalization of legal expertise and its framing as a stable legal practice, i.e., the systematic activity of subjects (including public authorities, scientific organizations, and individual experts) consisting of regularly repeated procedures for researching and evaluating legal acts. Based on the analysis of sources, including foreign practices, the author classifies models of organizing the expert community and shows that institutionalization serves as a sign of the formation of the practice of legal expertise. The article also notes that the emergence of the expert community as a subject of legal expertise raises a number of organizational issues related to the status of experts, the limits of their freedom and independence, the legal nature of expert conclusions, and the scientific and methodological support for their activities, the resolution of which could facilitate the final establishment of the practice and institution of legal expertise.

Keywords: legal expertise, institutionalization, legal practice, expert community, state machine, civil society, regulatory impact assessment, rule-making, public authority, legal policy

Abstract: The subject of the research is the conceptual foundations of special legal regulation of artificial intelligence in the Russian Federation. The author proposes a concept for a draft law on the fundamentals of regulating artificial intelligence in the Russian Federation. The developed draft law suggests several amendments to the current version of the draft published by the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation. Some elements of the published draft are proposed to be revised (for example, adding the developer of the artificial intelligence system to the list of subjects). Special attention is paid to the provisions of the developed draft federal law that allow for internal coherence of the regulation. Primarily, this refers to the foundations of risk-oriented classification of AI technologies, the proposed special legal regime for socially significant communications, mandatory labeling of synthesized and substantially modified content, the regime of a verified information environment, and the distribution of responsibilities among participants in the technology's life cycle. The empirical basis of the research comprises theoretical constructs and practical examples from the spheres of healthcare, education, finance, public administration, and critical information infrastructure. Through the analysis of cases, systematic interpretation of norms, and legal forecasting, the insufficiency of general legislation and the need for a framework law with preventive mechanisms have been demonstrated. The scientific novelty lies in justifying the model of a framework federal law on artificial intelligence, where central importance is attached not only to general definitions and classification of systems by risk categories but also to special regimes for the circulation of artificially created (substantially modified) content. It is argued that three interrelated institutions may be particularly significant for Russian legislation: the regime of socially significant communications, mandatory labeling of synthesized and substantially modified content, and the regime of a verified information environment. It is shown that preventing harm associated with the use of artificial intelligence should become one of the main guiding principles of the future law. It is concluded that the development of legislation in the examined area should be based on the adoption of a framework federal law that combines regulatory and preventive functions.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, legal regulation, special federal law, risk-based approach, socially significant communications, content labeling, synthesized content, validated information environment, harm prevention, legal responsibility

Abstract: This paper comprehensively examines the current challenges and long-term strategic prospects for implementing the large-scale project of the China-Mongolia-Russia International Economic Corridor, which serves as a key integration component of the global “Belt and Road” initiative in the Eurasian space. The research focuses on internal and external factors: strengths (political trust, favorable geographical location, strategic compatibility, economic complementarity), weaknesses (underdeveloped transport infrastructure, raw-material structure of trade, funding shortages), opportunities (regional integration, reorientation of Russian trade toward the East, energy transition), and threats (geopolitical risks, promotion of the “Chinese threat” narrative, escalation of sanctions) that determine the success and effectiveness of the corridor’s implementation amid modern geopolitical and economic turbulence, risks on traditional logistics routes, and sanctions pressure. The methodological framework is based on a SWOT analysis that unites internal and external factors within a single analytical framework. The empirical base includes up-to-date statistical data for 2021–2025, systematized within the SWOT analysis. The results show that sanctions pressure has a dual impact on the economic corridor: it complicates financial settlements and restricts access to technologies, but stimulates the reorientation of Russia’s foreign trade toward the East, settlements in national currencies, and the transit potential of Mongolia. Given that after 2022 the nature of challenges and threats has changed so fundamentally as to necessitate a reassessment of existing views on the prospects of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor, the scientific novelty of this work lies in identifying the asymmetry of factors (the inertial character of strengths and the dynamics of threats) and in demonstrating that the key constraining factor at the present stage is not political disagreements, but rather objective infrastructure limitations and a shortage of financing. It is concluded that, despite external pressure, trilateral cooperation has sufficient political resilience, and the implementation of the economic corridor is acquiring strategic significance as the core of forming an autonomous Eurasian economic space.

Keywords: International economic corridor, international connectivity, eurasian integration, Belt and Road, Russia-China cooperation, Russia-Mongolia cooperation, China-Mongolia cooperation, dual impact of sanctions, prospects, SWOT analysis

Abstract: The subject of the research is the mechanisms of crisis communication between the PRC and ASEAN countries in the South China Sea, including political consultations, norms for preventing maritime incidents, hotlines, confidence-building measures, and negotiations on the Code of Conduct. The main focus is on their practical role in maintaining conflict manageability and reducing the risk of escalation. The study analyzes how these tools are integrated into the regional interaction system between China and ASEAN, which combines multilateral diplomacy, asymmetry of political and military-strategic resources, and differences in approaches to security provision. A key issue is why the development of these mechanisms does not lead to a definitive resolution of the dispute but only restrains the growth of tensions. The research covers the political and normative levels of interaction. It is based on a neo-institutional approach, comparative political analysis, and analysis of official international political documents. Elements of process tracing are used to track the evolution of crisis communication mechanisms from the 2002 Declaration to the negotiations on the Code of Conduct. The novelty of the study lies in substantiating the thesis that crisis communication between the PRC and ASEAN countries forms not a full-fledged conflict resolution regime but a regime of limited stabilization aimed primarily at reducing the risk of inadvertent escalation. The work shows that existing institutions and channels of interaction indeed contribute to reducing the likelihood of uncontrolled tactical clashes, maintaining a minimally necessary level of predictability in the behavior of the parties, and creating procedural frameworks for responding to crisis episodes. At the same time, they do not eliminate the underlying causes of conflict, including the strategic asymmetry of participants, differences in their foreign policy priorities, and normative discrepancies regarding legitimate ways to manage the disputed waters. The conclusion is made that the institutionalization of trust in this case is selective and functionally limited: it is effective as a tool for de-escalation and tactical deterrence of incidents, but does not evolve into a stable legal-political conflict resolution regime. Thus, crisis communication emerges not as a mechanism for resolving contradictions but as a way to control their reproduction within the regional order, where stability is maintained without achieving a final political-legal consensus.

Keywords: China, ASEAN, South China Sea, crisis communication, regional security, institutionalization, code of conduct, international law, confidence-building measures, strategic asymmetry

Abstract: This article examines the evolution of Russia's strategic position on the South China Sea disputes and its possible future trajectory as cooperation deepens among Russia, China, and ASEAN. The analysis draws on official agreements, treaties, and public statements by Russian leadership from different periods. The geopolitical environment in the South China Sea has grown increasingly complex in recent years, contributing to greater strategic uncertainty. At the same time, Western sanctions have compelled Russia to reorient its foreign economic policy toward Asian markets. In this context, Russia’s primary interest is stability: stable conditions are necessary for developing trade and economic ties with Asia and fostering a more predictable regional environment. The research employs historical-political and systemic approaches, supplemented by an analysis of official documents. The article reaches the following conclusions. Russia’s position on the South China Sea disputes shifted from supporting China’s territorial claims to developing cooperation with Vietnam. In the post-Soviet period, this evolved into pragmatic neutrality, which has persisted to the present day. Two main groups of factors explain this evolution: national interests and the international structure. Over the long term, Russia would be well advised to focus on developing economic cooperation with China on the continent while minimizing its presence in the waters of the South China Sea. The scientific novelty of this study lies in identifying the mechanism of Russia's shifting position — specifically, how national interests and international structure interact to shape policy change. As a major extra-regional actor in the South China Sea, Russia has consistently worked with both China and ASEAN countries. Yet existing Russian literature offers no general explanatory mechanism for the evolution of Russia's position on the South China Sea disputes, and this work is intended to fill this gap.

Keywords: South China Sea, Russia, China, Russia's position, territorial disputes, neutrality, regional interaction, strategic cooperation, regional security, prospects

Abstract: The subject of the study is the subsidiary liability of controlling persons of the debtor as a legal institution of civil law, examined from a comparative legal perspective using the examples of Russia, Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland. The object of the study comprises the normative models of holding persons behind the corporate shell liable where the assets of the legal entity are insufficient to satisfy creditors' claims. The author provides a detailed analysis of such aspects as the legal nature of subsidiary liability in Russian civil and insolvency law, the German doctrines of Durchgriffshaftung and Existenzvernichtungshaftung, the French mechanism of responsabilité pour insuffisance d'actifs, the Italian system of liability, and the Swiss model. Particular attention is paid to the empirical dynamics of subsidiary liability enforcement in Russia (a tenfold increase over 2016–2024) and to the relationship between the institutions under study and the doctrine of piercing the corporate veil. The methodological framework comprises comparative legal, formal-doctrinal, and statistical methods. A functional approach to comparative law is applied, enabling comparison of institutions that differ in doctrinal nature but fulfill identical regulatory functions. The principal findings of the study are as follows. Russian subsidiary liability of controlling persons constitutes an original legal institution that is not an adaptation of any specific foreign model but rather combines elements of the German concept of liability for destruction of the entity's economic foundations, the French mechanism of compensation for insufficiency of assets, and the Anglo-American idea of veil piercing, while exceeding each of them in scope, severity, and breadth of potential respondents. The author's particular contribution consists in systematizing six key parameters of divergence across models (legal nature, scope of respondents, extent of liability, standard of fault, veil-piercing mechanism, and the role of insolvency law) and identifying the paradox between the high rate of successful claims (52% in 2024) and the low actual recovery rate of awarded amounts (approximately 4–5%). The novelty of the study lies in a comprehensive comparison of the Russian model with four continental legal systems taking into account the latest legislative developments, and in formulating recommendations for improving Russian legislation based on European experience.

Keywords: subsidiary liability, controlling person, piercing corporate veil, bankruptcy, comparative corporate law, insolvency, directors’ liability, tort liability, creditor protection, standard of guilt

Abstract: The article discusses the subject of involving minors in the commission of crimes and other illegal or antisocial activities. The scientific novelty of the study lies in substantiating a comprehensive approach to defining the subject of involving minors in the commission of crimes and other illegal or antisocial activities, according to which age is a necessary but insufficient characteristic of a special subject. The author suggests considering the actual psycho-emotional and social superiority of the offender over the victim as a criterion of increased social danger of the act, which allows for a more precise differentiation of criminal responsibility. The theoretical significance of the work lies in clarifying the concept of a special subject in the context of crimes against the interests of minors, as well as in distinguishing between the institutions of involvement and complicity, which contributes to the development of the theory of complicity in crime and the doctrine of the subject of crime. The work employs a dialectical method of cognition, as well as general scientific and special methods such as analysis, synthesis, comparative legal, systemic-structural, and formal-legal methods. As a result of the conducted research, it is established that the person that involves the minors in the commission of crimes and other illegal or antisocial acts is special; however, its status is determined not only by reaching the age of 18 but also by the presence of objective signs of dominance (the ability to influence the will and consciousness of the minor, psycho-emotional and social superiority, authoritative or dominant position, etc.). At the same time, for certain crimes characterized by increased social danger (for example, involvement in terrorist crimes, prostitution, drug use), the legislation allows for the prosecution of minors from the age of 16, which indicates a differentiated approach to the subject of the respective offenses depending on the nature of the protected objects.

Keywords: the subject of the crime, special subject, engagement, involvement of minors, criminal liability, age of the subject, crime, illegal actions, antisocial actions, criminal law

Abstract: The subject of the study is the legal support of behavioral supervision within the system of banking regulation in the Russian Federation. The object of the research comprises legal relations arising in the process of exercising supervisory powers by the Bank of Russia aimed at protecting consumers of financial services and reducing consumer risk in the financial market. The study examines the structure of the mechanism of legal support of behavioral supervision and analyzes its constituent elements. Special emphasis is placed on the classification of supervisory instruments into organizational-supportive and regulatory-protective measures. The role of the Bank of Russia as a mega-regulator ensuring a balance between public and private interests through supervisory and regulatory mechanisms is also examined. The methodological framework of the study is based on formal-legal, systemic and functional methods, as well as doctrinal analysis of theoretical approaches to the concept of legal support and its relationship with legal regulation. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the development of an integrated theoretical model of the legal support of behavioral supervision through the concept of the mechanism of legal support. The paper formulates an original definition of legal support as an independent legal category combining a system of legal means and legal activity aimed at achieving public objectives in banking regulation. A functional classification of behavioral supervision instruments is proposed, enabling the systematization of both existing and prospective regulatory measures. It is concluded that effective stability of the banking system depends on the development of a structured supervisory framework that minimizes information asymmetry, enhances the quality of financial products, and ensures proportionate restrictions on access to complex financial instruments for certain categories of consumers.

Keywords: legal support, behavioral supervision, banking regulation, mechanism of legal support, legal regulation, financial market, consumer protection, banking supervision, Bank of Russia, consumer risk

Abstract: The subject of this study is the processes of structural transformation of Eurasian integration projects in the context of a changing international order. The object of analysis is Eurasian integration as a system of interconnected institutional formats of regional interaction, including the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The study conceptualizes Eurasian integration as a multi-layered system in which different levels and mechanisms of coordination interact. Particular attention is paid to the institutional architecture of these organizations, their functional differentiation, the distribution of competences across governance levels, and the comparative analysis of coordination models, degrees of institutional formalization, and mechanisms for reconciling state interests, as well as the factors driving transformation under conditions of geopolitical fragmentation and increasing regionalization. The methodology is based on a comparative-institutional approach and the concept of multi-level governance, combining institutional, comparative-political, and structural-functional analysis with qualitative analysis of legal and academic sources. The scientific novelty lies in interpreting Eurasian integration as a multi-layered system of multi-level governance in which institutional coordination is realized through functionally differentiated mechanisms. The study demonstrates that structural transformation is driven not only by internal institutional dynamics but also by external factors, including geopolitical instability, sanctions pressure, institutional asymmetry among member states, and differences in the functional roles of integration formats. It establishes that the EAEU operates a partially supranational coordination model in the economic sphere, whereas the SCO and CSTO rely on consensus-based mechanisms in political and security domains. The interaction of these formats forms a hybrid governance model that enables adaptation to a multipolar international environment. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of regionalism and refine the application of multi-level governance to non-European integration contexts.

Keywords: Eurasian integration, multi-level governance, Institutional coordination, Structural transformation, Regionalism, EAEU, SCO, CSTO, Interstate interaction, Hybrid governance