West Looks to Russia’s Past for Insight into the Future

would be accepted, though exact details of what consequences they might face remain unclear. While arguably the most dramatic and visible event on the world stage, this month’s armed conflict between Georgia and Russia is only the latest in a series of escalations between Russia and the West. In the years since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has repeatedly expressed its frustration at Western, and especially American, involvement in neighboring former Soviet states such as Ukraine and Georgia. The U.S. and EU recognition of an independent Kosovo irked the government of Vladimir Putin last year, while efforts to expand NATO to include Albania, Macedonia, Georgia and Ukraine sparked anger that the U.S. was attempting to establish a presence in Russia’s backyard. Georgia has long counted on the support of the... [read full story]