Power and Conflict in Russia’s Borderlands: The Post-Soviet Geopolitics of Dispute Resolution

Description

As Cold War battle lines are seemingly re-drawn, Russia's various 'frozen' war zones (ongoing separatist conflicts) are often cited as particularly volatile and assumed by some Western commentators and policymakers to be 'next' on Putin's 'wish list'. But, as Helena Rytövuori-Apunen demonstrates here, this is a gross (and dangerous) oversimplification that will only serve to fuel the vicious circle of reciprocal military escalation. Drawing on a range of empirical research and across separatist conflicts in Georgia (South Ossetia and Abkhazia), Moldova (Transnistria and Gagauzia) and Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, her timely book provides a balanced assessment and critique of the assumptions and misunderstandings that inform mainstream discussions, as well as placing the conflicts in their proper and complex historical contexts. At a time when there is an increasing tendency to view Russia as the source of all instability in Eastern Europe, Power and Conflict in Russia's Borderlands is essential reading for anyone interested in the geopolitics of post-Soviet Russia, as well as policymakers and practitioners of peace/conflict resolution studies. Cover Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Note on the Transliteration Introduction: Russia’s Deep Bordersin the Making Part one Russia’s Encounters with Georgia and Its Faltering Waysin the International Community 1 Conventional Rules and the HabitualExperience in the Justification of the War in August 2008 2 The ‘Last Resort’ Solution and the Experience of the Recurrent Violence 3 The Long and Winding Way to Decision 4 Russia in Georgia: Unhappy Policies and the Misfortunes of the Time Part two Dealing with Divided Moldova: Failed Resolution and Russian Policies of Vertical Power 5 The Political Split: Towards a New Future with Old Lines of Division 6 Historical Background of the Political and Cultural Split 7 Russia’s Policies to Settle the Conflict over Transnistria 8 After the Kozak Plan 9 Prepared for Either Way: Strengthening Vertical Ties and Social Integration 10 Gagauzia and the Quest for Guarantees of Autonomy by Regional Powers Part three Nagorno-Karabakh: Leverage for Controlling Russia’s Deep Border Arrangements with Armenia and Azerbaijan 11 The Failed Policies of the Past and the Complexity of the Contemporary Conflict 12 Russia’s Settlement Policies in Karabakh: The Centrality of Diplomatic Efforts 13 The Delicate Equation: Russia’s Policy Arrangements with Armenia and Azerbaijan 14 Nagorno-Karabakh and Its Precarious Relative Stability 15 Moscow’s Main Thrust and Its Alternative Conclusion: Russia’s Deep Border Practices in Its Post-Soviet Borderlands Notes Bibliography Index