Moscow’s active and unprecedented direct support of Viktor Yanukovych in the Ukrainian presidential elections highlights recent changes in Russian policy toward the post-Soviet states. This new approach has raised numerous questions and interpretations in Russia and the West. On the surface there is a new straightforward style of intervention diverging from public diplomatic neutrality. When analyzed in a broader international context, it appears that Moscow is re-evaluating its agenda, with more ambitious priorities. Moscow’s new policy is more than a stylistic change; it is a response to potential incursions of Western influence into traditionally Russian spheres of influence. As I will argue in this memo, a combination of factors, internal and external, make Russia orient its foreign policy toward courting CIS leaders who are explicitly pro-Russian. […]
Memo #:
332
Series:
1
PDF:
PDF URL:
http://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/ponars/pm_0332.pdf
