|
The extremely
complex and diverse geopolitical space of the former USSR can be
best analyzed in terms of four main groups of states, singled out in
relation to their geographical location, ethnic composition,
political leanings, and ideological orientation. |

The first
group of countries is represented by the Baltic states of Lithuania,
Latvia, and Estonia. They are united by their common past, including
the experience of independent statehood in the period between the
two world wars. Reannexed by the USSR in 1940, they retained their
strong pro-Western leanings and, half a century later, seized the
opportunity offered by Gorbachev’s liberalization and finally broke
away from what they regarded as the “imperial center.”
Having
regained their full independence, the three countries declined
membership in the CIS. They view as their natural allies the
countries of western and northern Europe and therefore strive to
join Western political, economic, and military organizations. In
late March 2004 these states joined NATO and in May they acceded to
the European Union.
Their
relations with Russia are strained not only because of the security
implications of their membership in NATO but also because of the
substantial ethnic Russian minorities, who found themselves
subjected to various discriminatory practices by the governments of
the three Baltic states. It is unlikely that in the foreseeable
future the Baltic republics will be inclined toward far-reaching
economic, political, and cultural reintegration with Russia and
other countries of the former Soviet Union.