This collaborative effort by Russian and American scholars documents Russian policy toward ethno-national conflict in its "near abroad," American policy toward these conflicts, and the attempts of international organizations to prevent and resolve them. Case studies consider the causes, dynamics, and prospects of conflicts in Latvia, the Crimea, the Transdniester region of Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and the region of North Ossetia and Ingushetia.

Title first published in 2003. Conflict and Security in the Former Soviet Union examines the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)'s approach to post-Cold War tensions and conflicts in the former Soviet area, the extent to which the new procedures, mechanisms and instruments developed by the organization are useful, and how the OSCE's activities may reveal innovative contributions to conflict studies.

This volume provides answers to the question of how the international community might cope with armed conflict after the Cold War. It identifies key actors--states and international organizations--that have the resources and (potentially) the will to address the problems of continuing violence and enduring conflicts. The book also evaluates the roles and strategies that might be adopted by these actors, unilaterally or cooperatively, to ease or end such armed struggles. The authors review the role of the United States, Russia, Japan, and China, all of which have the potential to play constructive roles in resolving conflicts. They also explore the contributions that the United Nations, the European Community, and other transnational organizations can make to building a more peaceful and secure world. Instead of appealing to grand theory as a guide for coping, the authors conclude, different mixes of actors, resources, roles, and strategies will have to be fashioned to meet the special needs of each conflict. Coping is viewed as an international imperative and not as the responsibility or prerogative of any one actor. The volume will be of interest to anyone concerned with international relations, international organizations, and security issues. Contributors are Arthur J. Alexander, Mohammed Ayoob, Nicole Ball, Paul F. Diehl, Roger E. Kanet, Samuel S. Kim, Edward A. Kolodziej, Edward J. Laurence, David F. Linowes, Patrick M. Morgan, Jack Snyder, Janice Gross Stein, and I. William Zartman.

In the 30 years since the emergence of the post-Soviet conflicts things have both changed and remained the same – continuities and changes in post-Soviet conflicts are the primary themes of this volume – it addresses all major wars, civil wars, and rebellions in the former Soviet Union. The volume focuses on factors that have contributed or may contribute to the resolution of the post-Soviet conflicts, most of which have represented rather long and damaging crises. In all conflict cases Moscow has been guided by Russian state interests – some have been instigated or fueled, others driven to a frozen state, and still a couple of others have been constructively resolved due to Moscow’s intervention. Russia has used a long-term strategy for the resolution of those conflicts that have taken place on its soil, but in regards to the conflicts in other post-Soviet states, there is no long-term solution in sight. As such, the conflicts in Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and Nagorniy Karabakh, remain unresolved involving not only the named states, but Russia as well. They may represent localized national or regional crisis impacting only the states involved, but for the Russian Federation they epitomize one huge post-Soviet crisis with no obvious end.