Security and Sovereignty in the Former Soviet Union

Among the contentious issues that come into play in relations between Russia and the other post-Soviet states, security concerns are arguably at the top of the list. Ruth Deyermond explores the linkage between post-Soviet security politics and the development of state sovereignty in the region, focusing on Russia's interactions with Ukraine, Georgia, and Belarus.

Deyermond ranges from ownership of nuclear weapons, to the use of military bases, to control of the Black Sea Fleet to show how competing understandings of sovereignty and the willingness of the smaller states to assert their independence from Russia have shaped both the nature and the outcome of disputes about military assets. Her analysis of the complex interconnections involved highlight a critical aspect of the post-Soviet security environment.