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Putin's Russia Embraces a Eurasian Identity

undefined and Senior Eurasia Analyst
Eugene Chausovsky
Senior Eurasia Analyst, Stratfor

Jan 17, 2019 | 11:00 GMT

A map of the Russian Federation.

An identity rooted in Russia's position in both Europe and Asia is key to understanding Russia's policies, now and in the years to come.

(Shutterstock)

Highlights

  • In the years to come, demographic change will further distinguish Russia from the West culturally and politically and more strongly emphasize its unique Eurasian identity.
  • Russia's prolonged standoff with the West will spur Moscow to develop closer economic and security ties with countries in the eastern theater, particularly in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, as Moscow seeks a greater balance in its relations between East and West.
  • In the long term, China's rise will temper Russia's shift to the East and could bring about an eventual rapprochement with the West, with Moscow's maneuvering between the Western and Eastern poles serving to shape the Eurasian aspect of Russia's identity.

In a New Year's message to U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote that Russia was "open to dialogue with the United States on the most extensive agenda." The message was a hopeful one for 2019, written to close out a year when relations between Russia and the West continued to deteriorate along numerous fronts. In reality, Russia's standoff with the West will likely only intensify this year. A key evolution in Russia's strategy -- indeed, in Russia's very identity -- over the course of the Putin era is a big reason why....

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