Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
its most crucial erstwhile strategic ally continued to labor in confusion and
anxiety over its economic and political status, with no clear signal regarding its
foreign policy preferences.
This trend to enlarge the number of potential strategic partners using a
pragmatic rather than ideological approach continued under the successive Indian
regimes, reaching its apogee under the BJP which intensified the build-up of
India's own military capabilities to gain a measure of strategic autonomy, most
notably via nuclear weapons.
Russia's Search for Identity and Impact on India
Even after a decade, the consensus among Russia specialists is that the country
has yet to settle on a long term vision or identity.
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It is generally recognized,
however, that the early period under Boris Yeltsin during which Russia was
unabashedly pro-western, did not pay off. The country had expected rich
dividends in the form of economic largesse and a nod to its great power status in
the international system by the remaining superpower.
Instead, Russia's economic health deteriorated sharply, culminating in a
severe financial crisis in August 1998. The Russian leadership learned the hard
way that little relief would be forthcoming for its huge debt, of which an
astounding $100 billion was simply inherited loans from the Soviet Union.
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Domestic economics under the market system did no better with the resulting
hybrid system often popularly described as 'criminal capitalism'. In addition, the
first stage of NATO expansion and the large scale military action against
Yugoslavia in spring 1999 was a double shock for those Russians who had
expected greater sensitivity to Russia's security concerns despite its loss of
international stature.
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Vladimir Putin, who came to power in March 2000 in a landslide electoral
victory, is seen as having a less pronounced fixation on relations with the west,
especially the US, though a top priority continues to be economic, political and
security cooperation with the broader European Union, particularly Germany.
Putin, who is surrounded by former KGB/FSB (domestic intelligence service)
colleagues, reflects the fairly widespread view held by Russian elite that they
have failed in their drive to join the European community and west in general,
and that Russia is no longer an equal partner in the developed world.
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The Russians have not been able to develop a clear alternate or replacement
perspective, but former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov provided some early
insight into Russia's options being discussed when he declared that Russia faced
a stark choice: be the weakest link in the core powers (that is, the eighth power in
the G8 group of countries) or the strongest power within the developing
countries.
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