1993 Reports

The Yeltsin Administration's Policy in the Far East: In Search of a Concept

Bogaturov, Alexei D.

The collapse of the Soviet Union has drastically changed the political design of Central and Eastern Eurasia. What for five decades was “Eastern” has reemerged as Central Europe; centuries-long “northward-looking” Ukraine, abruptly turned to the West, a move followed by Moldova. The Baltic states—a core piece and symbol of the Russian presence in Europe since the time of Peter the Great—have taken a strong anti-Russian stand and may be considered anything but Moscow’s fortress on the Atlantic. Russia feels cut off from the West or, more precisely, the European West.