REFERENCE: Point 17 - End of Clause (Part II)
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The Case For An Engaged Neutrality Bloc
The following references are associated with The CURD Plan: » The Plan » Point 17: The Engaged Neutrality » Point 17: End Of Clauses
NARRATIVE
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ukraine#Early_modern_period
- Most of Ukraine fell to the Russian Empire under the reign of Catherine the Great; the Crimean Khanate was annexed by Russia in 1783, following the Emigration of Christians from Crimea in 1778, and in 1793 right-bank Ukraine was annexed by Russia in the Second Partition of Poland.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic
- The first iterations of the Ukrainian SSR were established during the Russian Revolution, particularly after the Bolshevik Revolution. The outbreak of the Ukrainian–Soviet War in the former Russian Empire saw the Bolsheviks defeat the independent Ukrainian People's Republic ... in December 1917 ... In 1922, it was one of four Soviet republics ... that signed the Treaty on the Creation of the Soviet Union. Upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Ukrainian SSR emerged as the present-day independent state of Ukraine.
- https://theconversation.com/why-many-ukrainians-speak-russian-as-their-first-language-190856
- Based on the 2001 census, about 14.3 million Ukrainian people (29% of the population) speak Russian as a first language, although by some estimates it is higher. The reasons for this lie in the history of the spread of the Ukrainian language and the formation of the borders of modern Ukraine.
- https://edsitement.neh.gov/curricula/alexis-de-tocqueville-tyranny-majority
- Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville is universally regarded as one of the most influential books ever written about America ... The greatest danger Tocqueville saw was that public opinion would become an all-powerful force, and that the majority could tyrannize unpopular minorities and marginal individuals.
- https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/commentary/preventing-the-tyranny-the-majority
- People often refer to the United States as a democracy, but technically speaking, that’s not true. It’s a republic. Big deal, you say? If you care about your rights, it is. The Founding Fathers knew their history well, so they knew better than to establish the U.S. as a democracy. In a democracy, of course, the majority rules. That’s all well and good for the majority, but what about the minority? Don’t they have rights that deserve respect?
- https://www.voanews.com/a/new-poll-reveals-how-ukrainians-feel-about-war-future/7303180.html
- Almost three-quarters of Ukrainians believe that their country will join NATO and the European Union within a decade, Gallup’s polling shows.
- https://apnews.com/article/cb742d45ae394798bbc7891d30efaa71
- February 19, 2019 — Ukraine’s president on Tuesday signed a constitutional amendment committing to join NATO and the European Union, acknowledging that the nation still has a long way to go to meet the membership criteria ... Poroshenko criticized those Ukrainian politicians who say that Ukraine shouldn’t join any blocs and argued that the nation’s bloc-free status has encouraged Russian “aggression.”
The Case For An Engaged Neutrality Bloc
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_of_Russia
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The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is the national animal of Russia.
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- https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/Europa-and-the-bull-The-significance-of-the-myth-in-modern-Europe?lang=fr
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Firstly, we should point out that the myth is not an official symbol of the European Union, like the flag, anthem or motto. However, the founding myth of Europa and the bull has frequently been alluded to in relation to the continent and by the modern European Union, and can thus be considered not only a piece of toponymy, but also as a semi-official symbol or supranational personification of the European region.
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On The Baltics
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandization
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Finlandization (Finnish: suomettuminen; Swedish: finlandisering; German: Finnlandisierung; Estonian: soometumine; Russian: ?????????????, finlyandizatsiya) is the process by which one powerful country makes a smaller neighboring country refrain from opposing the former's foreign policy rules, while allowing it to keep its nominal independence and its own political system. The term means "to become like Finland", referring to the influence of the Soviet Union on Finland's policies during the Cold War.
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- https://www.statelessness.eu/updates/blog/non-citizens-baltics-common-misconceptions-explained
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To this day, there are approximately 300,000 non-citizens in the Baltics, in Estonia and Latvia. In contrast to Estonia and Latvia, Lithuania does not have any non-citizens of its own, as it did not renege on its political assurances to provide access to citizenship at the time of independence.
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- https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/articles/post-soviet-dual-citizenship/
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The spread of dual citizenship in the post-Soviet space is becoming one of the most important tools for ensuring Russia’s hegemony in the region. However, this phenomenon is often overlooked in foreign policy analysis. The study of changes in Russian legislation shows that over the past three years Russia has created a legal framework that would accelerate the spread of dual citizenship in Ukraine and potentially in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Moldova.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians_in_Latvia
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In Latvia, Russians have been the largest ethnic minority in the country for the last two centuries ... It started to decrease in size again after Latvia regained independence in 1991 falling to 23.7% at the beginning of 2023.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians_in_Estonia
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Russians in EstoniaTotal population: 306,801 (est.) / (22.0% of total population). In Estonia, the population of ethnic Russians is estimated at 306,801, most of whom live in the capital city Tallinn and other urban areas of Harju and Ida-Viru counties.
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On Georgia and Moldova
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Moldova_to_the_European_Union
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A poll in June 2018 found that 46% preferred that Moldova join the EU versus 36% that preferred to join the Eurasian Economic Union. A March 2022 survey condected by Magenta Consulting found that, after president Maia Sandu announced that her government had officially submitted an application for membership of the European Union, 61% of Moldovans (40% 'totally', 21% 'rather') were in favour of EU membership, up from 52% before the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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- https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-moldova-eu-applications/31734092.html
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Two former Soviet republics, Georgia and Moldova, have formally applied for European Union membership, after their ambitions were accelerated in the shadow of Russia's full-scale invasion of nearby Ukraine ... The EU accession process usually takes years and requires meeting strict criteria that takes into account such factors as economic stability, the level of corruption, and respect for human rights. Unanimity among the 27-nation bloc is required to allow new members in.
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- https://inews.co.uk/news/world/could-moldova-georgia-join-nato-experts-growing-russian-aggression-1599659
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While Georgia's bid for Nato membership is still ongoing, Moldova has never made an attempt to join the alliance.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States
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Georgia withdrew its membership in 2008 following the Russo-Georgian War ... Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine starting from 24 February 2022, Moldova voiced its intention to progressively withdraw from the CIS institutional framework.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldova%E2%80%93NATO_relations
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A poll in June 2018 found that 22% of Moldovans would vote in favour of joining NATO, while 43% would oppose. Another poll in December 2018 found that, if given the choice in a referendum, 22% of Moldovans would vote in favor of joining NATO, while 32% would vote against it and 21% would be unsure. In May 2022, shortly after Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine had begun, a poll in Moldova found that 24.5% supported NATO membership. In February 2023, 24% would vote in favor of NATO membership while 62% would vote against, according to an IMAS poll
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- https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_38988.htm
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Georgia is one of NATO’s closest partners. It aspires to join the Alliance. Over time, a broad range of practical cooperation has developed between NATO and Georgia, supporting Georgia’s reform efforts and its goal of eventual NATO membership. The country contributes to the NATO-led Operation Sea Guardian and cooperates with the Allies and other partner countries in many other areas.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia%E2%80%93NATO_relations
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Georgia has sought to join NATO, which it views as a guarantee of stability to the region by acting as a counterweight to Russia, which it considers a dangerous neighbor. Located on the northeastern border of NATO member Turkey, Georgia is the furthest from the Atlantic of all countries currently considering NATO membership. Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty limits membership extension to European states. Georgia's location on the juncture of continents is a subject of debate, yet similarly positioned Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952 but Turkey has a part of its territory clearly in the European continent, over 600 miles (970 km) to the West and in the European Shores of the Black Sea, while Georgia has traditionally been considered as the northernmost area of Western Asia.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia_conflict#After_the_2008_war
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Relations between Georgia and Abkhazia have remained tense after the war. Georgia has moved to increase Abkhazia's isolation by imposing a sea blockade of Abkhazia.
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- https://www.crisisgroup.org/europe-central-asia/caucasus/south-ossetia-burden-recognition
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The war dealt a heavy physical, economic, demographic and political blow to South Ossetia. The permanent population had been shrinking since the early 1990s and now is unlikely to be much more than 30,000. The $840 million Russia has contributed in rehabilitation assistance and budgetary support has not significantly improved local conditions. With its traditional trading routes to the rest of Georgia closed, the small Ossetian economy has been reduced to little more than a service provider for the Russian military and construction personnel.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ossetia%E2%80%93Alania#Politics
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The dissolution of the Soviet Union posed particular problems for the Ossetian people, who were divided between North Ossetia, which was part of the Russian SFSR, and South Ossetia, part of the Georgian SSR. In December 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR abolished the autonomous Ossetian enclave amid the rising ethnic tensions in the region, which was further fanned by Moscow; a lot of the conflict zone population, faced with the ethnic cleansing, was forced to flee across the border to either North Ossetia or Georgia proper.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Ossetia#Politics
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President Anatoly Bibilov announced on 26 March 2022 that South Ossetian troops had been sent to assist Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Bibilov announced on 30 March 2022 that South Ossetia would initiate the legal process to become part of Russia. Russian politicians reacted positively and said Russian law would permit (parts of) foreign nations to join the federation. They highlighted the necessity to "express the will of the Ossetian people" through a referendum. Ossetian leader Bibilov said in a lengthy interview that he planned to hold two referendums, one on annexation by Russia, and the second vote on joining North Ossetia, for which he set the election proceedings in motion on April 7, 2022. On May 13, the annexation referendum was scheduled to take place on July 17. Following Biblov's defeat in 2022 election, the new president, Alan Gagloyev, suspended the referendum on May 30. Gagloyev announced in August 2022 that border crossings with Georgia would be open ten days a month.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_Russian_annexation_of_Transnistria
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Several analysts, however, believe that Russia will not try to annex Transnistria. Russia officially strives for the granting of a special status of Transnistria within Moldova, possibly to exert influence over the entire country. An annexation of Transnistria by Russia would be counterproductive to this goal, especially considering that it could accelerate an undesired unification between Moldova and Romania. Furthermore, Transnistria is far from Russia and landlocked, and creating a nationalist discourse among the Russian people to achieve annexation, as was done before with Crimea, could be more difficult.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia
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The political status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Abkhaz–Georgian conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. Abkhazia has been recognised as an independent state by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria; however, the Georgian government and nearly all United Nations member states consider Abkhazia a sovereign territory of Georgia. Lacking effective control over the Abkhazian territory, Georgia maintains an Abkhaz government-in-exile.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazians
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The Abkhazians or Abkhazes[a] are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. A large Abkhaz diaspora population resides in Turkey, the origins of which lie in the Caucasian War in the late 19th century. Many Abkhaz also live in other parts of the former Soviet Union, particularly in Russia and Ukraine.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria
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The present history of the region dates to 1990, during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was established in hopes that it would remain within the Soviet Union should Moldova seek unification with Romania or independence, the latter occurring in August 1991. Shortly afterwards, a military conflict between the two parties started in March 1992 and concluded with a ceasefire in July that year.
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On Turkey
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea_Grain_Initiative
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The resulting agreement was signed in Istanbul on 22 July, valid for a period of 120 days. The July agreement created procedures to safely export grain from certain ports to attempt to address a worldwide food crisis. A joint coordination and inspection center was set up in Turkey, with the UN serving as secretariat ... In summer 2023, Russia repeatedly claimed it would withdraw from the deal in July 2023 unless its demands were met. By July 17, 2023, no new agreement to renew the deal had been reached, causing the deal to expire.
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- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-stress-ukraine-support-during-zelenskiy-visit-turkish-source-says-2024-03-08/
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ISTANBUL, March 8 (Reuters) - Turkey is ready to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Istanbul.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#Etymology
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The shorter form is "China" (??; ??; Zhongguó), from zhong ('central') and guó ('state'), a term which developed under the Western Zhou dynasty in reference to its royal demesne.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_the_Regime_of_the_Straits
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The Montreux Convention regulates maritime traffic through the Turkish Straits ... In peacetime, ... if they want to pass through the Strait, warships must provide advance notification to the Turkish authorities ... In wartime, if Turkey is not involved in the conflict, warships of the nations at war may not pass through the Straits, except when returning to their base.
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- https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/14/us-sanctions-turkey-over-russian-s400.html
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In 2017, Turkish President Recep Erdogan brokered a deal reportedly worth $2.5 billion with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the S-400 mobile surface-to-air missile system. The S-400 system is said to pose a risk to the NATO alliance as well as the F-35, America’s most expensive weapons platform.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Turkey_to_the_European_Union
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Turkey is negotiating its accession to the European Union (EU) as a member state, following its application to become a full member of the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of the EU, on 14 April 1987 ... Since 2016, accession negotiations have stalled. The EU has accused and criticized Turkey for human rights violations and deficits in rule of law. In 2017, EU officials said that the strong presidency created by the 2017 Turkish constitutional referendum would violate the Copenhagen criteria of eligibility for an EU membership.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire
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The Ottoman Empire, historically and colloquially known as the Turkish Empire, was an imperial realm that spanned much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Central Europe between the early 16th and early 18th centuries ... The successful Turkish War of Independence, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk against the occupying Allies, led to the emergence of the Republic of Turkey in the Anatolian heartland and the abolition of the Ottoman monarchy in 1922, formally ending the Ottoman Empire.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_and_the_Holocaust
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Prior to joining the Allied Powers late in the war, Turkey was officially neutral in World War II. Despite its neutrality, Turkey maintained strong diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany during the period of the Holocaust.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Turkey
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During the Cold War, Turkey participated in the Korean War as a member state of the United Nations, suffering 731 deaths in combat. The fear of a Soviet invasion and Stalin's unconcealed desire to control the Turkish Straits eventually led Turkey to give up its principle of neutrality in foreign relations and join NATO on February 18, 1952.
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On Russia
- https://www.reinisfischer.com/population-changes-former-soviet-union
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In 1990 in the Soviet Union lived 287.728 million people. Russia 1990 population: 148.3 million.
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- https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-rues-soviet-collapse-demise-historical-russia-2021-12-12/
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"It was a disintegration of historical Russia under the name of the Soviet Union," Putin said of the 1991 breakup, in comments aired on Sunday as part of a documentary film called "Russia. New History", the RIA state news agency reported.
"We turned into a completely different country. And what had been built up over 1,000 years was largely lost," said Putin, saying 25 million Russian people in newly independent countries suddenly found themselves cut off from Russia, part of what he called "a major humanitarian tragedy".
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On Belarus
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kievan_Rus%27
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The modern nations of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine all claim Kievan Rus' as their cultural ancestor, with Belarus and Russia deriving their names from it, and the name Kievan Rus' derived from what is now the capital of Ukraine.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Rus%27
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Holy Rus' is not distinguished by geography, nor by the state it constitutes, nor by ethnicity, but by Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_State
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According to some observers, Lukashenko's intention was also to gain great power, becoming president of a future Russia-Belarus federation after Yeltsin's demise due to his all-time low popularity. However, after Yeltsin resigned, Vladimir Putin was elected in 2000 to succeed him as Russian president. There was also the Freedom March, a 1999 protest against unification in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Putin's election and the Freedom March forced Lukashenko to cancel his plans and maintain a balance between the independence of Belarus and Putin's increasing pressure for further integration of the two countries into the Union State.
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- https://news.yahoo.com/russia-belarus-strategy-document-230035184.html
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A leaked internal strategy document from Vladimir Putin’s executive office and obtained by Yahoo News lays out a detailed plan on how Russia plans to take full control over neighboring Belarus in the next decade under the pretext of a merger between the two countries. The document outlines in granular detail a creeping annexation by political, economic and military means of an independent but illiberal European nation by Russia, which is an active state of war in its bid to conquer Ukraine through overwhelming force.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations
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Member states have no legal obligations to one another but are connected through their use of the English language and historical-cultural ties. Citizenship of a Commonwealth country affords benefits in some member countries, particularly in the United Kingdom, and Commonwealth countries are represented to one another by high commissions rather than embassies. The Commonwealth Charter defines their shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States
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As the Soviet Union disintegrated, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine signed the Belovezha Accords on 8 December 1991, declaring that the Union had effectively ceased to exist and proclaimed the CIS in its place.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Economic_Union
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The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union was signed on 29 May 2014 by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, and came into force on 1 January 2015.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Security_Treaty_Organization
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The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, formed in 2002.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus%E2%80%93Ukraine_relations
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In the waning days of 2021, the relationship between both countries rapidly deteriorated, culminating in a full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. Belarus has allowed the stationing of Russian troops and equipment in its territory and its use as a springboard for offensives into northern Ukraine but has denied the presence of Belarusian troops in Ukraine. Even though part of the Russian invasion was launched from Belarus, Ukraine did not break off diplomatic relations with Belarus (unlike with Russia), but remain frozen.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus%E2%80%93Russia_relations
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Belarus and Russia share a land border and constitute the supranational Union State. Several treaties have been concluded between the two nations bilaterally. Russia is Belarus' largest and most important economic and political partner. Both are members of various international organizations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the United Nations.
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On Russia Again
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphere_of_influence
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In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence is a spatial region or concept division over which a state or organization has a level of cultural, economic, military, or political exclusivity ... In more extreme cases, a country within the "sphere of influence" of another may become a subsidiary of that state and serve in effect as a satellite state or de facto colony. This was the case with the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc after World War II.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_power
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In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-opt rather than coerce (in contrast with hard power). It involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. Soft power is non-coercive, using culture, political values, and foreign policies to enact change.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servant_leadership
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Before the modern popularity of the concept of "leadership", the autocratic enlightened absolutist King Frederick II ("the Great") of Prussia (r. 1740–1786) famously portrayed himself as "the first servant of the state".
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PICTORIAL
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_of_Russia
- The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is the national animal of Russia.
- https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/Europa-and-the-bull-The-significance-of-the-myth-in-modern-Europe?lang=fr
- Firstly, we should point out that the myth is not an official symbol of the European Union, like the flag, anthem or motto. However, the founding myth of Europa and the bull has frequently been alluded to in relation to the continent and by the modern European Union, and can thus be considered not only a piece of toponymy, but also as a semi-official symbol or supranational personification of the European region.
On The Baltics
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandization
- Finlandization (Finnish: suomettuminen; Swedish: finlandisering; German: Finnlandisierung; Estonian: soometumine; Russian: ?????????????, finlyandizatsiya) is the process by which one powerful country makes a smaller neighboring country refrain from opposing the former's foreign policy rules, while allowing it to keep its nominal independence and its own political system. The term means "to become like Finland", referring to the influence of the Soviet Union on Finland's policies during the Cold War.
- https://www.statelessness.eu/updates/blog/non-citizens-baltics-common-misconceptions-explained
- To this day, there are approximately 300,000 non-citizens in the Baltics, in Estonia and Latvia. In contrast to Estonia and Latvia, Lithuania does not have any non-citizens of its own, as it did not renege on its political assurances to provide access to citizenship at the time of independence.
- https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/articles/post-soviet-dual-citizenship/
- The spread of dual citizenship in the post-Soviet space is becoming one of the most important tools for ensuring Russia’s hegemony in the region. However, this phenomenon is often overlooked in foreign policy analysis. The study of changes in Russian legislation shows that over the past three years Russia has created a legal framework that would accelerate the spread of dual citizenship in Ukraine and potentially in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Moldova.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians_in_Latvia
- In Latvia, Russians have been the largest ethnic minority in the country for the last two centuries ... It started to decrease in size again after Latvia regained independence in 1991 falling to 23.7% at the beginning of 2023.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians_in_Estonia
- Russians in EstoniaTotal population: 306,801 (est.) / (22.0% of total population). In Estonia, the population of ethnic Russians is estimated at 306,801, most of whom live in the capital city Tallinn and other urban areas of Harju and Ida-Viru counties.
On Georgia and Moldova
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Moldova_to_the_European_Union
- A poll in June 2018 found that 46% preferred that Moldova join the EU versus 36% that preferred to join the Eurasian Economic Union. A March 2022 survey condected by Magenta Consulting found that, after president Maia Sandu announced that her government had officially submitted an application for membership of the European Union, 61% of Moldovans (40% 'totally', 21% 'rather') were in favour of EU membership, up from 52% before the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-moldova-eu-applications/31734092.html
- Two former Soviet republics, Georgia and Moldova, have formally applied for European Union membership, after their ambitions were accelerated in the shadow of Russia's full-scale invasion of nearby Ukraine ... The EU accession process usually takes years and requires meeting strict criteria that takes into account such factors as economic stability, the level of corruption, and respect for human rights. Unanimity among the 27-nation bloc is required to allow new members in.
- https://inews.co.uk/news/world/could-moldova-georgia-join-nato-experts-growing-russian-aggression-1599659
- While Georgia's bid for Nato membership is still ongoing, Moldova has never made an attempt to join the alliance.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States
- Georgia withdrew its membership in 2008 following the Russo-Georgian War ... Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine starting from 24 February 2022, Moldova voiced its intention to progressively withdraw from the CIS institutional framework.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldova%E2%80%93NATO_relations
- A poll in June 2018 found that 22% of Moldovans would vote in favour of joining NATO, while 43% would oppose. Another poll in December 2018 found that, if given the choice in a referendum, 22% of Moldovans would vote in favor of joining NATO, while 32% would vote against it and 21% would be unsure. In May 2022, shortly after Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine had begun, a poll in Moldova found that 24.5% supported NATO membership. In February 2023, 24% would vote in favor of NATO membership while 62% would vote against, according to an IMAS poll
- https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_38988.htm
- Georgia is one of NATO’s closest partners. It aspires to join the Alliance. Over time, a broad range of practical cooperation has developed between NATO and Georgia, supporting Georgia’s reform efforts and its goal of eventual NATO membership. The country contributes to the NATO-led Operation Sea Guardian and cooperates with the Allies and other partner countries in many other areas.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia%E2%80%93NATO_relations
- Georgia has sought to join NATO, which it views as a guarantee of stability to the region by acting as a counterweight to Russia, which it considers a dangerous neighbor. Located on the northeastern border of NATO member Turkey, Georgia is the furthest from the Atlantic of all countries currently considering NATO membership. Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty limits membership extension to European states. Georgia's location on the juncture of continents is a subject of debate, yet similarly positioned Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952 but Turkey has a part of its territory clearly in the European continent, over 600 miles (970 km) to the West and in the European Shores of the Black Sea, while Georgia has traditionally been considered as the northernmost area of Western Asia.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia_conflict#After_the_2008_war
- Relations between Georgia and Abkhazia have remained tense after the war. Georgia has moved to increase Abkhazia's isolation by imposing a sea blockade of Abkhazia.
- https://www.crisisgroup.org/europe-central-asia/caucasus/south-ossetia-burden-recognition
- The war dealt a heavy physical, economic, demographic and political blow to South Ossetia. The permanent population had been shrinking since the early 1990s and now is unlikely to be much more than 30,000. The $840 million Russia has contributed in rehabilitation assistance and budgetary support has not significantly improved local conditions. With its traditional trading routes to the rest of Georgia closed, the small Ossetian economy has been reduced to little more than a service provider for the Russian military and construction personnel.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ossetia%E2%80%93Alania#Politics
- The dissolution of the Soviet Union posed particular problems for the Ossetian people, who were divided between North Ossetia, which was part of the Russian SFSR, and South Ossetia, part of the Georgian SSR. In December 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR abolished the autonomous Ossetian enclave amid the rising ethnic tensions in the region, which was further fanned by Moscow; a lot of the conflict zone population, faced with the ethnic cleansing, was forced to flee across the border to either North Ossetia or Georgia proper.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Ossetia#Politics
- President Anatoly Bibilov announced on 26 March 2022 that South Ossetian troops had been sent to assist Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Bibilov announced on 30 March 2022 that South Ossetia would initiate the legal process to become part of Russia. Russian politicians reacted positively and said Russian law would permit (parts of) foreign nations to join the federation. They highlighted the necessity to "express the will of the Ossetian people" through a referendum. Ossetian leader Bibilov said in a lengthy interview that he planned to hold two referendums, one on annexation by Russia, and the second vote on joining North Ossetia, for which he set the election proceedings in motion on April 7, 2022. On May 13, the annexation referendum was scheduled to take place on July 17. Following Biblov's defeat in 2022 election, the new president, Alan Gagloyev, suspended the referendum on May 30. Gagloyev announced in August 2022 that border crossings with Georgia would be open ten days a month.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_Russian_annexation_of_Transnistria
- Several analysts, however, believe that Russia will not try to annex Transnistria. Russia officially strives for the granting of a special status of Transnistria within Moldova, possibly to exert influence over the entire country. An annexation of Transnistria by Russia would be counterproductive to this goal, especially considering that it could accelerate an undesired unification between Moldova and Romania. Furthermore, Transnistria is far from Russia and landlocked, and creating a nationalist discourse among the Russian people to achieve annexation, as was done before with Crimea, could be more difficult.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia
- The political status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Abkhaz–Georgian conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. Abkhazia has been recognised as an independent state by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria; however, the Georgian government and nearly all United Nations member states consider Abkhazia a sovereign territory of Georgia. Lacking effective control over the Abkhazian territory, Georgia maintains an Abkhaz government-in-exile.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazians
- The Abkhazians or Abkhazes[a] are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. A large Abkhaz diaspora population resides in Turkey, the origins of which lie in the Caucasian War in the late 19th century. Many Abkhaz also live in other parts of the former Soviet Union, particularly in Russia and Ukraine.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria
- The present history of the region dates to 1990, during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was established in hopes that it would remain within the Soviet Union should Moldova seek unification with Romania or independence, the latter occurring in August 1991. Shortly afterwards, a military conflict between the two parties started in March 1992 and concluded with a ceasefire in July that year.
On Turkey
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sea_Grain_Initiative
- The resulting agreement was signed in Istanbul on 22 July, valid for a period of 120 days. The July agreement created procedures to safely export grain from certain ports to attempt to address a worldwide food crisis. A joint coordination and inspection center was set up in Turkey, with the UN serving as secretariat ... In summer 2023, Russia repeatedly claimed it would withdraw from the deal in July 2023 unless its demands were met. By July 17, 2023, no new agreement to renew the deal had been reached, causing the deal to expire.
- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-stress-ukraine-support-during-zelenskiy-visit-turkish-source-says-2024-03-08/
- ISTANBUL, March 8 (Reuters) - Turkey is ready to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Istanbul.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#Etymology
- The shorter form is "China" (??; ??; Zhongguó), from zhong ('central') and guó ('state'), a term which developed under the Western Zhou dynasty in reference to its royal demesne.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_the_Regime_of_the_Straits
- The Montreux Convention regulates maritime traffic through the Turkish Straits ... In peacetime, ... if they want to pass through the Strait, warships must provide advance notification to the Turkish authorities ... In wartime, if Turkey is not involved in the conflict, warships of the nations at war may not pass through the Straits, except when returning to their base.
- https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/14/us-sanctions-turkey-over-russian-s400.html
- In 2017, Turkish President Recep Erdogan brokered a deal reportedly worth $2.5 billion with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the S-400 mobile surface-to-air missile system. The S-400 system is said to pose a risk to the NATO alliance as well as the F-35, America’s most expensive weapons platform.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Turkey_to_the_European_Union
- Turkey is negotiating its accession to the European Union (EU) as a member state, following its application to become a full member of the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of the EU, on 14 April 1987 ... Since 2016, accession negotiations have stalled. The EU has accused and criticized Turkey for human rights violations and deficits in rule of law. In 2017, EU officials said that the strong presidency created by the 2017 Turkish constitutional referendum would violate the Copenhagen criteria of eligibility for an EU membership.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire
- The Ottoman Empire, historically and colloquially known as the Turkish Empire, was an imperial realm that spanned much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Central Europe between the early 16th and early 18th centuries ... The successful Turkish War of Independence, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk against the occupying Allies, led to the emergence of the Republic of Turkey in the Anatolian heartland and the abolition of the Ottoman monarchy in 1922, formally ending the Ottoman Empire.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_and_the_Holocaust
- Prior to joining the Allied Powers late in the war, Turkey was officially neutral in World War II. Despite its neutrality, Turkey maintained strong diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany during the period of the Holocaust.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Turkey
- During the Cold War, Turkey participated in the Korean War as a member state of the United Nations, suffering 731 deaths in combat. The fear of a Soviet invasion and Stalin's unconcealed desire to control the Turkish Straits eventually led Turkey to give up its principle of neutrality in foreign relations and join NATO on February 18, 1952.
On Russia
- https://www.reinisfischer.com/population-changes-former-soviet-union
- In 1990 in the Soviet Union lived 287.728 million people. Russia 1990 population: 148.3 million.
- https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-rues-soviet-collapse-demise-historical-russia-2021-12-12/
- "It was a disintegration of historical Russia under the name of the Soviet Union," Putin said of the 1991 breakup, in comments aired on Sunday as part of a documentary film called "Russia. New History", the RIA state news agency reported. "We turned into a completely different country. And what had been built up over 1,000 years was largely lost," said Putin, saying 25 million Russian people in newly independent countries suddenly found themselves cut off from Russia, part of what he called "a major humanitarian tragedy".
On Belarus
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kievan_Rus%27
- The modern nations of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine all claim Kievan Rus' as their cultural ancestor, with Belarus and Russia deriving their names from it, and the name Kievan Rus' derived from what is now the capital of Ukraine.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Rus%27
- Holy Rus' is not distinguished by geography, nor by the state it constitutes, nor by ethnicity, but by Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_State
- According to some observers, Lukashenko's intention was also to gain great power, becoming president of a future Russia-Belarus federation after Yeltsin's demise due to his all-time low popularity. However, after Yeltsin resigned, Vladimir Putin was elected in 2000 to succeed him as Russian president. There was also the Freedom March, a 1999 protest against unification in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Putin's election and the Freedom March forced Lukashenko to cancel his plans and maintain a balance between the independence of Belarus and Putin's increasing pressure for further integration of the two countries into the Union State.
- https://news.yahoo.com/russia-belarus-strategy-document-230035184.html
- A leaked internal strategy document from Vladimir Putin’s executive office and obtained by Yahoo News lays out a detailed plan on how Russia plans to take full control over neighboring Belarus in the next decade under the pretext of a merger between the two countries. The document outlines in granular detail a creeping annexation by political, economic and military means of an independent but illiberal European nation by Russia, which is an active state of war in its bid to conquer Ukraine through overwhelming force.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations
- Member states have no legal obligations to one another but are connected through their use of the English language and historical-cultural ties. Citizenship of a Commonwealth country affords benefits in some member countries, particularly in the United Kingdom, and Commonwealth countries are represented to one another by high commissions rather than embassies. The Commonwealth Charter defines their shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States
- As the Soviet Union disintegrated, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine signed the Belovezha Accords on 8 December 1991, declaring that the Union had effectively ceased to exist and proclaimed the CIS in its place.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Economic_Union
- The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union was signed on 29 May 2014 by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, and came into force on 1 January 2015.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_Security_Treaty_Organization
- The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, formed in 2002.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus%E2%80%93Ukraine_relations
- In the waning days of 2021, the relationship between both countries rapidly deteriorated, culminating in a full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. Belarus has allowed the stationing of Russian troops and equipment in its territory and its use as a springboard for offensives into northern Ukraine but has denied the presence of Belarusian troops in Ukraine. Even though part of the Russian invasion was launched from Belarus, Ukraine did not break off diplomatic relations with Belarus (unlike with Russia), but remain frozen.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarus%E2%80%93Russia_relations
- Belarus and Russia share a land border and constitute the supranational Union State. Several treaties have been concluded between the two nations bilaterally. Russia is Belarus' largest and most important economic and political partner. Both are members of various international organizations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the United Nations.
On Russia Again
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphere_of_influence
- In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence is a spatial region or concept division over which a state or organization has a level of cultural, economic, military, or political exclusivity ... In more extreme cases, a country within the "sphere of influence" of another may become a subsidiary of that state and serve in effect as a satellite state or de facto colony. This was the case with the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc after World War II.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_power
- In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-opt rather than coerce (in contrast with hard power). It involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. Soft power is non-coercive, using culture, political values, and foreign policies to enact change.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servant_leadership
- Before the modern popularity of the concept of "leadership", the autocratic enlightened absolutist King Frederick II ("the Great") of Prussia (r. 1740–1786) famously portrayed himself as "the first servant of the state".
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