Russian Minorities and Contemporary Geopolitics in Russia's "Near Abroad"

This paper will argue that, though the many close similarities between Russian minorities in three case-study states (Ukraine, Estonia, and Latvia) should make them almost equally compelling targets to a Russia driven by an ethno-mythological, pan-Slavic view (so commonly assumed among today’s Western critics), in reality only the “weak links” in Russia’s near abroad are targeted. The paper will analyze factors on both the Russian and Russian minority sides, attempting to ascertain which characteristics of a Russian minority increase its geopolitical desirability to Russia and the likelihood of Russian interference in the sovereignty of its state, while equally importantly addressing the qualities that make a Russian minority in a border state more open to Russian involvement. Utilizing a three-variable format, this paper concludes that Russian minority identity and exploitability, while often overridden by other factors (as in the Baltics), often constitute the deciding factor in marginal cases of great geopolitical significance (as in Ukraine). After discussing these factors in detail, the paper concludes by generalizing its conclusions to other areas of Russia’s “Near Abroad.”Bachelor of Art