Post-Soviet Eurasia in the Mirror of Global Processes (Key Development Trends and Dilemmas of Russian Politics)

Abstract

The peculiarity of the current moment in the development of post-Soviet Eurasia is its ever-increasing involvement in the processes of redrawing the previously relatively stable field of world politics and economics. In a changing global political environment, the region is facing a number of new challenges. At the same time, the situation is unique in that the region exists in the “post-economy” mode, when the problem of self-identification becomes fundamental, from the point of view of both formulating internal development goals and determining one’s place in the world. The increase in external pressure on post-Soviet Eurasia gives birth to two contradictory tendencies: towards the weakening of internal ties, which is fraught with the destruction of its integrity, and towards the consolidation of space in response to expansion from outside. The transformations taking place in the region largely reflect global trends, including the increasing role of ideological aspects that sideline economic considerations, the global search for ideological and value orientations, and the growing importance of ethnic and religious affiliation. Having analyzed in detail the processes unfolding in the Eurasian space, the authors come to the conclusion that the confrontation of various civilizational identities will be the most important factor in its further development. According to the authors, post-Soviet Eurasia might face either a complete loss of subjectivity, or a partial loss of economic sovereignty and preservation of subjectivity through its political affiliation with Russia. However, the implementation of the second scenario requires from Russia not only its readiness, but also its ability to assume the functions of the core of the region.