Russia, Ukraine, and the New Battle for Eastern Europe

Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea is neither primary evidence for a new Cold War nor a return of Russia as a global power. It is reflection of Russia’s return as a traditional European power in conflict for control along its borders. Since the 16th century, Russia has been one of several major powers in the European balance of power. The Cold War was a global contest. Ideology was a central factor in the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. Ideology is not critical to the dispute today. Russia’s rivalry with the United States and NATO is restricted to Eastern Europe and the Levant. Russia, no longer a global power like the Soviet Union, is a European power. In this context, its focus is, as it was 200 years ago, maintaining a favorable balance of power in Europe and security along its frontiers. This paper attempts to put Russia’s recent actions in its border areas in the context of its historical foreign policy to test whether today’s choices represent a divergence from or a continuation of previous foreign policy objectives.