Russia against Ukraine : Is Russia merely a regional power

Is hardly imaginable that Russia is merely a regional power. Just take a look at its location in the center of the northern landmasses of the planet, to realize that their movements have by force exert effects on the entire panorama of the planet, and that even in moments of great prostration. A state that has borders with the EU, which considers that the Middle East is their backyard, which is displaying some of their arsenals on the border with China, which maintains several disputes with Japan and that clashes with the U.S. through the narrow Bering can not be a regional power. But Russia drag, moreover, a most singular geostrategic condition. With extremely long borders, straddling Europe and Asia, it is a continental power that must be addressed equally enormous possibilities and obvious risks. Add that this is a state that is a major producer of hydrocarbons, which enjoys veto in the Security Council of the UN and has a large nuclear arsenal. One of the plausible consequences of all this is the fact that we are facing one of the few states in the world in which external influences are limited or, failing that, turn out to be inefficient.

Moreover, if Russia obvious potential benefits, it also draws no less relevant defects. Recall that, at least in regard to its European territory, is a geographically vulnerable country conspicuously lacking a permanent departure and hacedera to warm seas, which is located in northern latitudes too to allow the deployment of a diversified economy, that has rivers that in most cases run from south to north and can hardly be a stimulating commercial use or, finally, that holds a vast wealth of raw materials which are, however, in regions as far as inhospitable.

There are those who, in another vein, wonder why Russia is part of the group that integrate emerging and known by the acronym BRIC. The question is legitimate because Russia is not an emerging economy or a state that boiling a reality show, not a third world country who has left behind old jammings. After, and in addition, there are fundamental differences between the Russian model and revealed in the other areas mentioned. For nothing is missing, unlike China, India and Brazil, Russia is a country with an aging population and open population crisis. Ultimately the reasons that justify the presence Avg Moscow among BRIC refers to the size of the country, its military might, wealth in raw materials and, in a sense, the answer will, to one degree or another, Western hegemony.

Recent events in Ukraine ratified, on the other hand, an increasingly common diagnosis: have to get used to dealing with dirty conflict over which will become increasingly difficult to show a free membership to the position of any of the contenders. Conflicts such as Western Sahara or Palestine, which cause immediate reactions solidarity with Palestinians and Sahrawis will be rather uncommon in the stage in which we move. And that is plenty of reasons to keep their distance to the conduct of all the important native and foreign agents operating in Ukraine. Registration of oranges is as unfortunate as the Blues: both share external submissions, repressive oligarchs wants and beneficiaries. But it’s not the most flattering balance contributed by the Western powers decided to move out of your piece starkest interests and a Russia that is playing the card of an empire that imposes rules of the game in its neighboring countries.

Not appear in parallel, we find ourselves facing a resurgence of the Cold War. In this regard it should invoke two main arguments. The first notes that in this moment, two world views and two different economic systems do not face. Although Western capitalism and Russian show different modulations, it is easy to appreciate a community of projects and interests. The second of these arguments highlight that there is a vast distance between the defense spending of the Western powers and Russia maintaining. Several Member States of NATO, each separately, have decided to preserve a higher level than the Russian military spending. But behind also appreciate the huge disparities in size of economies: do not forget that the Russian GDP in purchasing power parity, is 15% of the EU. And there are huge distances in short, in terms of population and weight in world trade. While the European Union has 500 million inhabitants and is run by 16% of exports recorded in the world, and China has 1,300 million and starring 8% of world trade, Russia is populated by just under 145 million people, or 2.4% of the total population, and takes a brief 2.5% of exports.

It seems, in short, as if Russia had not received any grievance and behaves as an alien at all aggressive power containment. The reality is quite different. As the Western world is concerned, Russia has tried almost everything in the last quarter century: boundless docility first Yeltsin, Putin collaboration with Bush Jr. between 2001 and 2006, and, in short, a moderate confrontation it was before the result of the arrogance of American politics that the effect of its own conscious choice. Moscow has not released yet any advantage of any of these options. Rather, it has been presented with successive enlargements of NATO, with a trail of military bases in neighboring countries, with Western support sassy color revolutions and a lackadaisical business deal. It is not difficult, then, that in a weighed down by the action of a impresentablemente subject to U.S. interests EU scenario, understand that Russia is undergoing an aggressive operation of harassment, and that as much as the differences not now mark ideologies seemingly irreconcilable, but well known imperial logic.

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Posted by Kashif Mirza on Apr 23 2014. Filed under World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.