Russia’s approach to multilateral cooperation in the post-Soviet space

Abstract

In the last decade, Russia has developed a more nuanced approach to multilateralism in the post-Soviet space. Having become disillusioned with the CIS, the Russian leadership has focussed on cooperation in specific fields with certain states in CSTO and EurAsEC, while SCO has provided scope for cooperation in tandem with China, another major power in Eurasia. Moscow has successfully managed to keep what it considers strategic areas of cooperation within CSTO and EurAsEC, thus not involving China in these areas, while at the same time benefiting from tying itself to the resources and international standing of China in SCO. This mixed approach has enabled Russia to reassert its place as the leader of multilateralism in parts of the post-Soviet space.