Q-2. Examine the social, political and economic reasons that led to the break-up of USSR. Ans-Russia’s takeover of the Crimean peninsula has drawn condemnation from the West, but reaction has been more varied in the 14 former Soviet republics in Russia’s “near abroad”. Many have played a balancing act between Russia and the West, and almost all have significant Russian-speaking populations. Azerbaijan: The oil-rich country in the South Caucasus has played the United States and Russia off against each other, previously hosting a Russian radar base and American troops. “It happened in South Caucasus and it’s happening now in Ukraine, it’s sort of the Soviet Union coming back,” said Emin Milli, a journalist and activist in Baku. Georgia: Reaction has perhaps been strongest in Georgia, which lost about 20 per cent of its territory when Russia cemented its control of two breakaway republics in the 2008 war. “What you hear a lot is that Russia is repeating in Ukraine what they did to Georgia in 2008,” said Koba Turmanidze, president of the CRRC Georgia research centre. “The government is trying to be diplomatic ... because they came to power promising to improve relations with Russia.” Kazakhstan: The most influential country in central Asia, Kazakhstan is one of only two full members of Mr. Putin’s customs union. Nargis Kassenova of KIMEP University said: “There is a considerable chunk of the population whose opinions are formed by Russian media, and there are increasingly vocal patriotic and liberal community getting upset with Russia.” Armenia: In 2013, Armenia declined an EU association agreement similar to the one offered to Ukraine and began moving towards membership of Russia’s customs union. “Anti-Russian people have criticised [Moscow’s takeover]; pro-Russian people have mostly kept silent,” said musician Artyom Babayan.” Kyrgyzstan: A revolution in 2010 brought in a regime which voted to close the U.S. airbase at Manas. “Edil Baisalov, a Bishkek-based analyst, said: “Most Kyrgyz view the world [as] good Russia versus evil America.” Uzbekistan: The U.S. leased an airbase there until 2005. “In the minds of Uzbek officials, the fall of Ukraine will inevitably lead to the fall of Uzbekistan,” said Alisher Khamidov, a researcher on central Asian affairs. “Uzbekistan will move to beef up its military and build closer partnerships with China and the west.” Tajikistan: Tajikistan is the former republic most dependent on remittances, with half its GDP coming from citizens in Russia. “All the countries in the former Soviet Union are on their guard; they understand that the strategy used in Ukraine, Ossetia, and Abkhazia could be used against them,” said Parviz Mullodzhanov, a political analyst in Dushanbe. Estonia: Estonia joined the EU and NATO in 2004 and has had frequent political clashes with Russia. “People fear that Russia could use these methods against Estonia although we are members of NATO,” said Silver Meikar, of the Institute of Digital Rights. Belarus: “Speaking selfishly, a Russian Crimea is more preferable and comfortable as a vacation destination for Belarusians, but they see Hitler in Putin’s methods,” said photographer Andrei Dubinin. Lithuania: Lithuania joined the EU and NATO in 2004 but retains a sizable population of ethnic Russians. “Most people know there is a small chance for something similar to happen here, but the Russian minority is too small here,” said Jonas Bidva, a logistics manager in Vilnius. “But the majority do not believe that NATO or EU would do anything to defend us if it happened.” Moldova: Russia has propped up Moldova’s breakaway republic of Transnistria, but the country has had mixed relations with Moscow. About one million Moldovans work in Russia and half as many work in the EU. “Part of the population considers this to be Russian imperial expansion,” said Tatyana Nita of Moldova’s Social Democratic party. “But others consider Russia to be a superpower that supports Moldova, and that Europe wants to get revenge through economic ties with other former Soviet republics.”
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 16:03:29 +0000
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