Suchergebnisse

AT PRESENT, A COMMONWEALTH DOES NOT EVEN EXIST ON PAPER FOR THE FORMER USSR. THE RESIGNATION OF SOVIET PRESIDENT MIKHAIL GORBACHEV IN NO WAY SIGNIFIES THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CENTER, BUT THE TRANSFER OF THE IDEA OF CENTRAL POWER INTO OTHER HEADS. THE KEY ISSUE IS THE UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP, WHICH MEANS THAT RUSSIA HAS YET TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE LOSS OF EMPIRE AND THAT UKRAINE CONTINUES TO PLAY A PRE-EMINENT ROLE IN THE SEARCH FOR RUSSIA'S IDENTITY. THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES THE UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN NEXUS, PROBLEMS OF IDENTITY, AND HOW TO FORGE A NEW UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP.

RUSSIA IS FAST APPROACHING A NEW HISTORIC CROSSROADS. THE SURVIVAL OF THE YELTSIN REGIME AND RUSSIA'S DEMOCRATIC FUTURE ARE BY NO MEANS CERTAIN. THIS ARTICLE ARGUES THAT NOW IS NOT TOO SOON TO THINK THROUGH AND DEVELOP PROACTIVE POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND CONTINGENCY PLANS TO AVERT UNWANTED CHANGE. IT PRESENTS THE EVIDENCE OF AN EMERGING TREND, AN DIRE PREDICTIONS FOR THE FUTURE. ANTISEMITISM AND XENOPHOBIA, THE MILITARY'S GROWING CLOUT, AND CHALLENGES TO CENTRAL AUTHORITY ARE EXPLORED.

SINCE THE END OF COMMUNIST RULE, RUSSIA HAS BEEN BEEN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THREE PEACEFUL TRANSITIONS--FROM A COMMAND TO A MARKET ECONOMY; FROM LENINISM TO THE INSTITUTIONS OF DEMOCRACY; AND FROM IMPERIAL POWER TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES. A KEY FACTOR IN SECURING THE PEACEFUL SUCCESS OF THESE TRANSITIONS IS HOW RUSSIA AND ITS ERSTWHILE COLONIES DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF ETHNIC MINORITIES--RUSSIAN AND NON-RUSSIAN--WITHIN THEIR BORDERS. IN RUSSIA THE DANGER OF AN EXTREME NATIONIST REVOLUTION AND THE RESURGENCE OF IRREDENTIST AMBITIONS IS ALL TOO REAL. ONLY RUSSIA'S RECOGNITION OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES, ITS ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE NEED TO PROTECT MINORITY RIGHTS WITHIN ITS BORDERS, AND A SIMILAR COMMITMENT TO MINORITY RIGHTS ON THE PART OF OTHER NATIONS WHICH HAVE SIZABLE RUSSIAN POPULATIONS WILL STAVE OFF FURTHER ETHNIC AND NATIONALIST VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED.

Vor dem Hintergrund der Gründung der Gemeinschaft Unabhängiger Staaten fragt der Verfasser nach der besonderen Qualität der russisch-ukrainischen Beziehungen. Er arbeitet zunächst die historisch-psychologische Dimension der Beziehungen beider Nationen und der russischen Sicht der Ukraine als "Klein-Rußland" heraus. Es schließen sich Beispiele für die Identifikation der Sowjetunion mit Rußland in der Gorbacev-Ära an. Eine Intensivierung des Interesses an der Ukraine wird erst mit der Unabhängigkeitserklärung der Ukraine und der nachfolgenden Entwicklung einer eigenständigen ukrainischen Position in der Frage eines neuen Unionsvertrages festgestellt. Der Verfasser setzt sich abschließend mit der Notwendigkeit auseinander, die russisch-ukrainischen Beziehungen nach dem Zerfall der Sowjetunion auf eine neue Basis zu stellen. (BIOst-Wpt)