Russian foreign policy in Eurasia : national interests and regional integration / Lilia A. Arakelyan.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

After the collapse -- Russia's foreign policy in the South Caucasus since 1991 -- How do the South Caucasian cases affect the analysis of Russia's foreign policy? -- Examining Moscow's international relations from a pluralist perspective -- The perplexing power of Russia's relations with its neighbors -- The constructivist moment in Russian post-Soviet foreign policy -- Am I a trembling creature, or do I have the right? -- Neoclassical realism -- International regime theories -- Eurasian integration vs. European integration -- Conclusion -- Russian foreign policy in the South Caucasus: the logic of historical explanation -- The main theoretical debates about the Russia's foreign policies -- In the South Caucasus and the creation of the Eurasian union -- Russia at the caucasian gates -- The neoclassical realist explanation -- The Caucasus and the Russian empire -- The history of Russia's foreign policy in the South Caucasus -- Catherine the Great and the national interest of Russia -- Tsarist expansion into the South Caucasus -- The South Caucasus on the eve of the creation of USSR -- The rise of nationalism in the South Caucasus -- Conclusion -- Testing regime theories in the post-soviet space -- The realist explanation of the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics -- The first pancake is always lumpy -- Interest-based theories of international regime -- From the customs union to the Eurasian Union -- Keohane's contractualist theory-not all regimes are created equally -- The structure, function and effect of the Eurasian economic union -- The functional theory falsifies Russia's foreign policy in the South Caucasus -- Conclusion -- Conclusion: did Russia restore its hegenomy in Eurasia? -- Russian foreign policy in the South Caucasus explained -- Russian policy towards Armenia -- Why Armenia joined the Eurasian union -- Russian policy toward Azerbaijan -- Russian policy toward Georgia -- Explaining variables -- Alternative theory international regime theories rejected -- Limitations and recommendations for future research -- The future of the South Caucasus.

"How do we interpret Russia's foreign policy in the South Caucasus? What is the relevance of this policy in the creation of the Eurasian Union? Is the Russia-centered regional integration project meant to contribute toward reestablishing Russian domination over former Soviet space? Employing a case-centric research design this book answers these questions by analyzing Russia's foreign policies in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, using neoclassical, realism and regime theories as frameworks. The fundamental aim of the book is to interpret Russia's foreign policies in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and the relevance for those policies of the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union." -- Provided by publisher.