... grandeur of national achievements and the country’s decline in everyday life was staggering. The situation was aggravated by the Cold War, enormous defense spending and support for freeloaders all over the world, who said the right words but betrayed the USSR at the first opportunity.
What could be done about these countless problems? How could they be sure their resolve would not sink under the weight of an indifferent bureaucracy? How could they prevent the system from overheating and losing control ...
... then?
First of all, in order to form a common supra-ethnic identity we need not only a union of states, with, for example, uniform customs tariffs. A "
humanitarian
dimension" is also required. But if we were to look at the experience of the USSR, territorial communities created by people only have a humanitarian component if a certain common meaning is accepted by the majority of the population. Is it realistic to find a single meaning in our case; after all, the territory of the future ...
... tradition of statehood for centuries. The small new countries of Eastern Europe existed in an incomprehensible status for two decades and, after the Second World War, actually lost their sovereignty in favour of one of the superpowers — mainly the USSR.
The second wave of sovereignty is associated with the collapse of the world colonial empires, whose metropolises are located in Western Europe. The collapse of the British, Belgian, Dutch, Portuguese and French empires led to the emergence of dozens ...
... completion of the “shrinkage” of the order which obtained its approximate features as a result of the World War II. Over the next 25 years (1945 — 1970), this order was “finalised” during the war in Korea, the US intervention in Vietnam, the USSR’s military actions in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, several indirect wars between the USSR and the US in the Middle East, the completion of the process of disintegration of the European colonial empires, as well as a significant number of smaller,...
... Transnistria, Chechnya, and Dagestan), but most of these conflicts were of a relatively modest scale and duration.
Andrey Kortunov:
А Hen Hatching Ducklings: How Russia Deals with Its Sphere of Influence
Military conflicts within the territory of the former USSR were often successfully "frozen" and only from time to time did they draw attention to themselves with outbreaks of escalation. The gloomy prophecies about the spread of nuclear weapons across the territory of the former USSR, about multimillion ...
In a few decades, or sooner, Moscow will have to take on an even greater responsibility, which Russia got rid of in 1991
It is unlikely that Moscow would simply observe the processes taking place on its immediate periphery. The real challenge may be that in a few decades, or sooner, Moscow will have to take on an even greater responsibility, which Russia got rid of in 1991, writes Valdai Club Programme Director
Timofei Bordachev
.
Through all the discussions that accompanied the preparation of...
Russia’s policy towards is neighbours is based on three factors: the traditional power component, the existence of a common geopolitical space, and a common history
Russia’s policy towards is neighbours is based on three factors: the traditional power component, the existence of a common geopolitical space, and a common history. The main component in international politics is the balance of forces, but geography and ties that have developed over centuries are no less important in this particular...
... hopes were put on small air-launched ballistic missiles. The GAM-87 “Skybolt” was designed to become precisely such a missile, allowing B-52 bombers carrying them to strike four targets within a range of up to 2000 km.
[3]
At the same time, the USSR was designing an air-launched modification of the R-13 (SS-N-4 Sark) SLBM; unlike the U.S., however, where the similar project progressed to the phase of flight trials, the Soviet endeavor remained “on paper” only.
[4]
To make up for this, the ...
... was concerned with enemies on more than one front. Now, with Beijing on the side of Moscow, Russia can utilize China as a strategic resource, he went on to say. Secondly, the country is much more prosperous than it was during the latter years of the USSR. And most importantly, the West is significantly less powerful than it was in the past.
“But, to win even against a weakening but still powerful West, we need to pursue the right policies, both at home and abroad,”
Karaganov warned.
He also ...
... personally
Vladimir Putin’s article attaches such great importance to the common historical experience of Russia and Ukraine because it is important for him personally. But those who were just starting their lives at the time of the collapse of the USSR are hardly likely to see things the same way. To sum up, as long as the aggregate power capabilities of Russia are maintained, our neighbours can expect unpleasant news, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev.
From the point of view ...
