Putin and His Neighbors

“The reader interested in Russian policy toward its near neighbors – the fourteen other post-Soviet states plus Finland and China – as well as the competitive relationship of Putin’s Russia and China, especially in Central Asia, will find this volume essential reading.  The authors conclude that ‘that Putin’s nearly two-decade rule has had considerable, although not unqualified, success in achieving’ in the Near Abroad the major goals of preventing radical democratic political changes; excluding NATO from countries near Russia’s borders, except in the Baltic; interdicting flows of terrorists, arms, and drugs; and providing generous incomes for Putin’s closest associates and supporters.” -- Roger E. Kanet, Professor Emeritus at both the University of Miami and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
“Putin and His Neighbors: Russia's Policies toward Eurasia is a timely addition to our understanding the economic underpinnings of Russian foreign policy since the resource boom ended in 2014.  In particular, it weaves together the implications of President Putin's agenda, Russia's economic weaknesses and the rise of China as a competitor or potential ally, especially in Central Asia.” -- Richard Pomfret, University of Adelaide
“This rigorously argued and incisive book furnishes a provocative analysis of Russian foreign policy in the former Soviet Union. Unlike many other such studies it emphasizes Russia's economic leverage and argues against the grain of most studies in this subject that Moscow's policies here have largely succeeded. Like it or not, this is an argument with which scholars, experts, and policymakers must contend with.” -- Stephen Blank, Senior Fellow, American Foreign Policy Council