Regional Peacekeepers

In the 1990s, while the Soviet Union disintegrated, the Russian Federation continued to maintain the USSR's longstanding obligations and strategic interests. Although no longer lawfully constituted to intervene directly in the conflicts that erupted in Georgia, Moldova and Tajikistan, Russian forces nevertheless influenced the conduct of the disputes and, more overtly, the peace process that followed. This work investigates the Russian military presence in its former Soviet territories to determine whether these forces have been genuine peacekeepers or are a post-imperial presence that seeks to maintain former strategic interests. The volume includes first-hand accounts of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peacekeeping efforts in South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Moldova and Tajikistan. These are juxtaposed with contemporary assessments of Russian peacekeeping efforts alongside NATO forces, as well as in Chechnya. The authors conclude that although the Russian strategic intent may have been hegemonic, in real terms the "peacekeepers" on the ground are probably not militarily capable of furthering Russian strategic aims.