Putin and His Neighbors : Russia's Policies Toward Eurasia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has implemented a set of policies toward his neighbors intended to help him re-establish his country's status as a major world power. These have included dominating, as far as possible, the independent states that once were part of the USSR and preventing further NATO encroachment on Russia's borders. He has also sought a pragmatic partnership with China to help bolster the Russian economy in the face of Western sanctions and declining revenues from oil and gas. This book argues that Putin's efforts have been largely, although not entirely, successful. In the future, however, the weakness of the Russian economy as compared to China's may pose a threat to Moscow's ability to maintain a Russian sphere of influence in its own neighborhood. Contents 7 Introduction 9 Chapter One. Russia’s Foreign Policy Objectives under Putin 11 Chapter Two. Russia’s Economic Weakness 35 Chapter Three. Disappointing Multilateral Institutions 53 Chapter Four. Bilateral Deals with Central Asian States 69 Chapter Five. Military Pressure on Southwestern Neighbors 91 Chapter Six. Resisting NATO Pressure: Northwest Border States 109 Chapter Seven. Russia v. China: A Problematic Partnership 123 Chapter Eight. Conclusions and Prospects 143 Bibliography 153 Index 157 About the Authors 161 Putin has re-established Russia's claim to world power by strengthening his autocratic rule at home, dominating or intimidating smaller independent neighbors and maintaining a pragmatic partnership with China. Russian policies depend on the use of oil and gas revenues, whose long-term prospects are questionable.