Russian President Putin Builds Ties in Moldova, Kazakhstan and Baltics

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has vowed to defend ethnic Russians wherever they live – in a sense threatening governments of former Soviet republics and exerting Russian control. “Putin has spent recent weeks focused on neighboring countries, many of which have substantial ethnic Russian minorities,” writes Michael Birnbaum for the Washington Post. “The strategy puts Russia on a collision course with the NATO defense alliance, because two of its members – Estonia and Latvia – have significant Russian-speaking minorities that have long complained of discrimination.” NATO would struggle to respond to defend member countries with large minority populations of ethnic Russians. The aggressive nationalistic stance has improved Putin’s standing at home, but drawn international criticism for destabilizing neighboring countries and weakening governments that could resolve complaints about discrimination. Widely viewed as troublemaker rather than peacemaker, Putin hopes to restore Russian influence, but may ultimately drive many citizens of former Soviet republics toward the western sphere. – YaleGlobal