The Return of Imperial Russia: Russia and Its Neighbors

Kanet examines Russia???s efforts to establish primacy over the ???near abroad??? countries of the former Soviet Union as an integral part of its economic, foreign, and security policies designed to reassert Russia???s great power status. The paper argues that the Russian political leadership???s initial commitment immediately following the dissolution of the Soviet Union to integration into the ???community of civilized states??? and willingness to follow the Western lead on major international political issues were short-lived. By the mid-1990s, Russia proclaimed a formal Eurasian thrust in its policy that included primacy over the ???near abroad??? of former Soviet territory and direct or indirect military involvement in regional, mainly ethnically-based conflicts in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Tajikistan. Kanet concludes that Vladimir Putin???s commitment to reestablishing Moscow???s control over domestic politics and rebuilding the foundations of Russia???s great power status, the financial boon resulting from the explosion of oil and gas prices, and the shortsighted and counterproductive policies of Washington all have served to strengthen the range of economic and political policy instruments available to Russia.published or submitted for publicationnot peer reviewe