Fighting for Eurasia

Russia and non-regional States have recently shown fresh interest in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The rivalry between Russia and the United States for the post-Soviet territory, beginning after the collapse of the USSR, has broken new ground. Russia considers the post-Soviet space as an area of vital interests. Economic and political relations with its neighbors, the internal political situation in the former Soviet Republics have a direct impact on the development of Russia. These determinants can explain the renewed interest in Eurasian integration and an integration project — the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). However, the USA hardly welcomes such aspirations of Russia and the support for the integration project on the part of some post-Soviet countries. The American side has no interest in the newly emerging regional centers of influence in the post-Soviet space, regarding this as a threat to its interests. Countering the development of Eurasian integration and strengthening the EAEU influence is the focus of US policy in this regard. The EAEU member countries are consistently taking steps to develop integration despite obstacles from the West. The long-term objectives, defined in various documents by the countries, should put them on a new path of economic cooperation. Eurasian integration faces a number of difficulties along with the successes, achieved since the creation of the EAEU. The world economy problems, in addition to internal ones, exert a considerable influence. They intensified after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which negatively affected the development of the EAEU countries. The internal political problems faced by the EAEU countries adversely affect integration. The internal political crisis in Belarus, beginning in the later 2020, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, worsened internal political struggle in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are the factors that influenced the work of the EAEU last year and early 2021. Nevertheless, economic difficulties and political events in specific countries, the pursuit of non-regional states to influence the elites of the former Soviet states have not altered the foreign policy priorities of the EAEU member states.

1. Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. April 25. 2005. URL: http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/22931 [Accessed: 13.01.2021] (In Russ.)

2. Putin’s Grand Strategy: The Eurasian Union and Its Discontents. Ed.: S. Frederick Starr, Svante E. Cornell. Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program. 2014. 203 p.

3. Putin V.V. A new integration project for Eurasia — the future that is being born today. Izvestia. October 5, 2011. (In Russ.)

4. Barakhova A., Butrin D., Gabuev A., Ivanov M., Kalitka V. Khamraev V. Vladimir Putin addressed the space. Kommersant. October 5, 2011. p. 1. URL: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1788017 [Accessed: 23.01.2021] (In Russ.)

5. Shurubovich A.V. Eurasian integration in the perception of the Belarusians. Russia and the new states of Eurasia. 2014;1:9-25. (In Russ.)

6. Kuzmina E.M. Eurasian Economic Union: Testing by the Crisis. Post-Soviet Issues. 2015;1:12. (In Russ.)

7. Yakimenko Y. Progress and Prospects of the Russian-Ukrainian Dialogue on Ukraine’s Accession to the Customs Union in Media Assessments. Resonance. 2013;6:6.

8. Arupov A.A., Abaydullaeva M.M. Prospects for the formation and development of the Common Free Market Zone. Collection of materials of the Research-to-Practice Conference (Almaty, November 15, 2011). Ed. B.K. Sultanov. Almaty: KISS under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; 2012. pp. 49-63.

9. Durdyeva A.A. The dilemma of integration in the Eurasian space in the context of Ukrainian events. Vestnik MGIMO. 2015;3:136.

10. Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union. Moscow. 2014. 680 p. (In Russ.)

11. Bekyashev K.A., Bekyashev D.K., Kashkin S.Yu., Moiseev E.G., Suleimanov T.V. International legal framework for the creation and functioning of the Eurasian Economic Union. Moscow: Prospect; 2015. p. 50.

12. Kuzmina E.M. Eurasian Economic Union: Testing by the Crisis. Post-Soviet Issues. 2015;1:5-16.

13. Shutsun V., Qingsun V. Prospects of the Eurasian integration project and its implications for China. Problems of national strategy. 2013;3:91.

14. Is the Eurasian Union ready for expansion? July 13, 2016. URL: http://eurasia.expert/gotov-li-evraziyskiy-soyuz-k-rasshireniyu/ [Accessed: 29.01.2021] (In Russ.)

15. Zhiltsov S.S. The strategy of the West in the post-Soviet space / World politics in the focus of our time. Ed. M.A. Neimark. Moscow: Dashkov and Co; 2019. pp. 72-106. (In Russ.)

16. Shustov A. The rates of declining the EAEU economies in 2020 fell below the world ones. 2021. February 24. URL: https://www.ritmeurasia.org/news--2021-02-24--tempy-padenija-ekonomik-eaes-v-2020-g.-okazalis-nizhemirovyh-53402 [Accessed: 26.02.2021] (In Russ.)

17. Vinokurov E., Lavrova N., Petrenko V. Enhancing the role of the EAEU national currencies in international settlements. Moscow: Eurasian Development Bank; 2021. 21 p.

18. The EAEC said that the EAEU does not plan to introduce a single currency. 2021. February 5. URL: https://www.ritmeurasia.org/news--2021-02-05--v-eek-zajavili-chto-eaes-ne-planiruet-vvodit-edinuju-valjutu-53117 [Accessed: 14.02.2021] (In Russ.)

19. Kryazheva A. US sanctions as an incentive to de-dollarization in the Eurasian space. 2021. February 15. URL: https://www.ritmeurasia.org/news--2021-02-15--sankcii-ssha-kakstimul-k-dedollarizacii-na-evrazijskom-prostranstve-53267 [Accessed: 18.02.2021] (In Russ.)

20. Dianne E. Rennack, Rebecca M. Nelson Economic Sanctions: Overview for the 117th Congress. January 15. 2021. URL: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11730 [Accessed: 18.02.2021]

21. «On strategic directions for the development of Eurasian economic integration until 2025». Eurasian Economic Commission. Came into operation on January 12, 2021. Eurasian Economic Union. Legal portal. URL: https://docs.eaeunion.org/docs/ru-ru/01528320/err_12012021_12 [Accessed: 17.01.2021] (In Russ.)

22. Meeting on the implementation of integration projects in the space of the Eurasian Economic Union. 2021. January 20. Site of the President of the Russian Federation. URL: http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/64909 [Accessed: 03.02.2021] (In Russ.)

23. Putin: EAEU countries need to effectively coordinate efforts to combat coronavirus. 2021. January 20. URL: https://tass.ru/obschestvo/10505305 [Accessed: 01.02.2021] (In Russ.)

24. Analytical report «On the macroeconomic situation in the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union and proposals to ensure sustainable economic development». Moscow: Eurasian Economic Commission; 2019. p. 30.

25. Derkul O. The new US administration and threats to the post-Soviet space. 2021. February 8. URL: https://www.ritmeurasia.org/news--2021-02-08--novaja-administracija-ssha-iugrozy-postsovetskomu-prostranstvu-i-53153 [Accessed: 15.02.2021] (In Russ.)

26. Remarks by President Biden on America’s Place in the World. 2021. February 4. URL: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/02/04/remarks-bypresident-biden-on-americas-place-in-theworld/ [Accessed: 14.02.2021]

27. Mendkovich N.A. Towards a Eurasian Economic Miracle. Russia and integration in the post-Soviet space. Moscow: Algorithm; 2015. 207 p.

28. Fominskikh O. A look from Belarus: it’s time for Kazakhstan to release tenge. Capital. 2015. July 7.

29. Kuzmina E.M. Greater Eurasia: Russia’s Interests and Opportunities in Interaction with China. Post-Soviet Issues. 2017;4(3):229-239. (In Russ.)