U.S. Army War College >> Strategic Studies Institute >> Publications >> Details

Why Russian Policy is Failing in Asia

Authored by Dr. Stephen J. Blank.

Other Studies by Keyword

+[Russian Policy] +[Blank]

Brief Synopsis

Since its inception as a state, Russia has been both a European and an Asian power. Although Russia today, as was true during much of its history, is torn by an identity crisis over where it belongs, its elites have never renounced Russia's vital interests in Asia and the belief that it should be recognized as a great power there. However, that belief and Moscow's ability to sustain it are now under threat, due, as Dr. Stephen Blank's thorough analysis informs us, to the ongoing failures of Russian policymakers to come to grips with changed Russian and Asian realities. At the same time, this aspect of Russian policy has been neglected in American assessments of Russia. This is a serious shortcoming, because, in Dr. Blank's view, Russia's Asian policies, viewed in their full breadth, are important signs of present and future trends concerning its behavior at home and in the wider world. Those policies are also significant as Asia's importance in world affairs rises. We ignore the threatening situation facing Russia, and Moscow's failure to adjust to those threats, only at our own peril. The growing concern over Russian arms transfers to China, a subject addressed in the study, is only one sign of unexpected negative trends that might work against U.S. interests if we continue to neglect Asian aspects of Russia's global behavior and policy.

You may also be interested in the following titles:

• 
  Russia and the Current State of Arms Control

• 
  Perspectives on Russian Foreign Policy

• 
  Arms Control and European Security

• 
  2012-13 Key Strategic Issues List

• 
  Against All Odds: Relations between NATO and the MENA Region

• 
  Can Russia Reform? Economic, Political, and Military Perspectives

• 
  The Role of Small States in the Post-Cold War Era: The Case of Belarus

• 
  Organizational Change in the Russian Airborne Forces: The Lessons of the Georgian Conflict

Survey: Why Russian Policy is Failing in Asia

1. How would you rate the writing and overall quality?

12345

2. Is the content relevant for influencing present and future debates?

YesNoNo Opinion

Your Comments (No URLs Allowed):

If you'd like a reply to your comments, provide your email:
(optional)

Also by the Author/Editor:

Russia and the Current State of Arms Control
Perspectives on Russian Foreign Policy
Arms Control and European Security
Can Russia Reform? Economic, Political, and Military Perspectives
Russian Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present, and Future
Arms Control and Proliferation Challenges to the Reset Policy
Russia in the Arctic
Central Asian Security Trends: Views from Europe and Russia

View other pubs in the following category:

Russia