A Russia-backed rebel armored fighting vehicles convoy near Donetsk, Eastern Ukraine, May 30, 2015, image by Mstyslav Chernov via Wikimedia CommonsBESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,678, August 6, 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: For geopolitical reasons, Russia has been building a chain of separatist states near its borders since the 1990s. However, as Russia’s economy worsens, competition with the West is increasing. As the “breakaways” grow ever more predatory, Moscow is having a difficult time managing geographically diverse separatist regions all at the same time.
An important part of Russia’s grand strategy in terms of foreign policy is its purposeful creation and management of …read more
