North Caucasus 7 - PONARS Eurasia

Broken Pendulum: Recentralization Under Putin

The development of center-region relations in Russia since 1990 is analogous to the oscillations of a pendulum, reflecting the changing balance between the alternative processes of decentralization and centralization. These…

The Forgotten Abkhazia: Anatomy of Post-Socialist Ethnic War

Local wars in the Caucasus have always tended to follow precedents–whether in the 19th century, in 1917-21, or in the period of 1989-94. It remains uncertain whether the NATO operation…

Central Asia’s Stability and Russia’s Security

In August 2000, as in 1999, Islamic rebels tested the strength of Central Asian government forces. Kyrgyzstan was badly hit again; what is more, Uzbek soldiers struggled to battle the…

The Prospects for ABM Treaty Modification

Since August 1999, the US-Russian START III/ABM Treaty talks have not shown evidence of any progress. At these talks, Moscow consistently refused discussing modification of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty…

Is Russian Nationalism on the Rise?

Recent developments in Russian politics have been widely interpreted as signaling a groundswell of public support for aggressive Russian nationalism. The story goes like this: Prime Minister (and now acting…

The Dynamics of US-Russian Relations: A Critical Perspective

I would like to suggest–and I don't know if this goes against the grain or with the grain–that we've very badly mismanaged US-Russian relations. I will focus my remarks on…

Putin in Russian Historical Context

The second president of Russia seems as surprised as anyone by his rapid ascension to the helm. Vladimir Putin's machismo, stiffness, the blurtings of hooligan jargon and the almost brazen…

The 2000 Presidential Elections: The Political Taste and Aftertaste

The first relatively free and fair elections to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR took place on March 26, 1989. These elections gave a strong impetus to the…

Consolidation of the State and Economic Policy Scenarios Under Putin

Russia is currently on the edge of a third stage of economic and political reform. The first stage (1985-1991) was political liberalization. Transformation of the communist political and ideological regime…

Putin and the Provinces

Since Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister of Russia in August 1999, and especially since he assumed the presidency on December 31, he has placed a high priority on reasserting federal…

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North Caucasus