In the last decade Russia has searched for new alternative policies to compensate for its political deficiencies and to balance its rivals in one of the key areas of the approaching geopolitical rivalry, the sea. The Russian assertiveness seen in the Black Sea-Mediterranean basin has recently been a real concern for the international community. In the six chapters of this book, contributors explain Moscow’s newly perceived assertive foreign and security behavior in the Black Sea and Mediterranean basin from their own perspectives, and reach a conclusion about the limits and validity of this new Russian ascendance in the region.

This book provides an understanding of Russia’s geopolitical strategic interests as well as a larger picture of its political realities. It shares insights on how to understand and solve the problems affecting US-Russian relations and the world.The book addresses three primary questions relevant to the current global context: Will current geopolitical shifts greatly benefit Russia’s long-term global objectives? What foreign policy will Russia pursue in the Middle East and the Baltic regions to guarantee the security of its strategic interests? And will major powers confront one another over resources that could trigger military conflict, or will they choose appeasement to maintain peace and stability in this new era? Thus, the book offers insights into the future geopolitical landscape. It therefore is a must-read for scholars, researchers of international relations and political science, as well as professionals, practitioners and analysts, interested in a better understanding of the changing global order and Russia’s geopolitical strategic interests.

This book provides an understanding of Russia's geopolitical strategic interests as well as a larger picture of its political realities. It shares insights on how to understand and solve the problems affecting US-Russian relations and the world. The book addresses three primary questions relevant to the current global context: Will current geopolitical shifts greatly benefit Russia's long-term global objectives? What foreign policy will Russia pursue in the Middle East and the Baltic regions to guarantee the security of its strategic interests? And will major powers confront one another over resources that could trigger military conflict, or will they choose appeasement to maintain peace and stability in this new era? Thus, the book offers insights into the future geopolitical landscape. It therefore is a must-read for scholars, researchers of international relations and political science, as well as professionals, practitioners and analysts, interested in a better understanding of the changing global order and Russia's geopolitical strategic interests. "For anyone wishing to understand Russia's long-term strategy and trajectory, the book you hold in your hand is an essential guide. Dr. Oualaalou's book constitutes a bedrock of penetrating exposition and analysis on the current state of global affairs and gets to a fundamental reality: Where Russia is headed as US leadership falters." Lyndon L. Olson, Jr., Former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden "This book is a comprehensive, thought provoking understanding of how and why a once collapsed USSR returned as the Russian Federation and today is a major challenger for global and regional dominance, especially over the USA and Western Europe." William A. Mitchell, Col, USAF, Ret. and Professor Emeritus, Baylor University "Dr. Oualaalou provides a compelling look at a frequently underestimated player on the world stage, from the unique perspective of an insider who is both a scholar and has served as the 'boots on the ground' in many conflict zones." David Schleicher, Attorney to Businesses and U.S. Government Employees.

Few relationships have been as misunderstood as the "strategic partnership" between Russia and China. Official rhetoric portrays it as the very model of international cooperation: Moscow and Beijing claim that ties are closer and warmer than at any time in history. In reality, however, the picture is highly ambiguous. While both sides are committed to multifaceted engagement, cooperation is complicated by historical suspicions, cultural prejudices, geopolitical rivalries, and competing priorities. For Russia, China is at once the focus of a genuine convergence of interests and the greatest long-term threat to its national security. For China, Russia is a key supplier of energy and weapons, but is frequently dismissed as a self-important power whose rhetoric far outstrips its real influence. A xis of Convenience cuts through the mythmaking and examines the Sino-Russian partnership on its own merits. It steers between the overblown interpretation of an anti-Western (particularly, anti-American) alliance and the complacent assumption that past animosities and competing agendas must always divide the two nations. Their relationship reflects a new geopolitics, one that eschews formal alliances in favor of more flexible and opportunistic arrangements. Ultimately, it is an axis of convenience driven by cold-eyed perceptions of the national interest. In evaluating the current state and future prospects of the relationship, Bobo Lo assesses its impact on the evolving strategic environments in Central and East Asia. He also analyzes the global implications of rapprochement between Moscow and Beijing, focusing in particular on the geopolitics of energy and Russia-China-U.S. triangularism.

The change of the geopolitical realities and dynamics, the latest regional developments and the emergence of a new perception of security due to the new situation in Karabakh have changed current perspectives in the South Caucasus region. This book will provide a comprehensive introduction for students, academics, media representatives, business persons and those who are interested in the region. It will guide you through in a very readable and engaging style as it covers all the salient points and issues of the North Caucasus (the authonomous republics) succinctly and the South Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia) in detail. After the last development and Russian direct involvement in the Karabakh issue, the world’s attention has focused increasingly on the Caucasus region. Thus, THE CHANGING PERSPECTIVES AND ‘NEW’ GEOPOLITICS OF THE CAUCASUS IN THE 21ST CENTURY book will be an excellent introduction to the complexities of a little-known the Caucasus region and make a significant contribution to the understanding of fundamental issues of the region. As the editors, we would like to dedicate this book to the heroic Azerbaijani soldiers who were martyred during the struggle for the liberation of the Karabakh lands from the Armenian occupation.

The collapse of communism and the disintegration of the USSR, created a new geopolitical reality, a new international environment, and a new set of international relations. This book is about Russia's foreign relations. It examines the factors that determine Russia's foreign policy, such as the economy and domestic politics. It devotes special attention to the so-called 'Russian idea' - a foreign policy determinant largely overlooked by western politicians and analysts. It attempts such an analysis by applying Russian rather than Western criteria because we are dealing here with a country with a unique culture and history.

Led by the seemingly indomitable Vladimir Putin, Russia has strongly reasserted itself on the international stage. In the worldview of Putin and the Kremlin, the inevitable decline of the West and rise of the rest provides an opportunity for Russia to fulfill its mission as an independent center of global power. What are the origins of this increasingly aggressive stance? What are the geopolitical ramifications? And what will be the likely outcomes? In this timely and accessible work, former diplomat and renowned Russia analyst Bobo Lo examines the interplay between contemporary Russian foreign policy and a global environment that has rarely been more fluid and uncertain. Russia and the New World Disorder delves into Russian policy and geopolitics via three questions: • How do Russia's domestic politics and external operating environment influence the Kremlin's foreign policy? • How have policymakers in Moscow responded to that environment, and with what ramifications? • What are the prospects for change, continuity, or regression in Russian foreign policy over the next decade and beyond? Lo argues that Moscow's approach to regional and global affairs reflects the tension between two very different worlds. The Kremlin's belief in a weakened West and resurgent Russia is based on the reaffirmation of traditional principles of international politics: collective leadership by the major powers, the dominance of hard power, and the existence of spheres of influence. This idealized view, however, is the antithesis of the actual world that Russia faces today. It is defined by a new disorder that challenges many core assumptions. Its principal message is that only those states that embrace change will prosper. In this world, Russia is no longer able to rest on tradition and a sense of entitlement but must instead adapt to fluid international realities and redefine itself as a modern power. Which of these two diametrically opposed worlds will Russia ultimately choose? This book makes clear that the next ten to fifteen years will be critical in determining whether Russia plays a leading role in twenty-first-century politics, or ends up as one of the principal casualties of global transformation. Copublished with Chatham House