Grand Strategies of Small Post-Soviet States

• In Event: The Foreign Policies of Small States

Abstract

The grand strategies of the post-Soviet states of the Caucasus and Central Asia are worth studying not only because they are frequently ignored in the studies of small states, but also because their foreign policy strategies are important in regional dynamics and security. These post-Soviet states are particularly important due to Russia, the regional power, and its interest in having influence in its “near abroad.” The aim of this paper is to examine the role of Russia in the regional states’ threat perceptions and national interests, and thus grand strategies. I focus on the security and military as well as diplomatic and economic domains with respect to these states’ foreign policies. The overall aim is to explain how these countries’ foreign policy strategies in relation to Russia are influenced by domestic and regional factors and conditions. My aim is to conduct case studies of three countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

Author

• Gunay Khalilova, University of Delaware