Resurgent Russia

Russia is growing more assertive on the global stage, having regained its economic strength following the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. It has been most active in its own region, where a tug-of-war has broken out between Russia and the European Union (EU) as each tries to draw the nations of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus into their orbit. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych recently reneged on an EU trade deal, reportedly after pressure from Moscow, touching off violent pro-EU protests throughout Ukraine. Russia's efforts to maintain influence over the former Soviet republics have fed speculation that President Vladimir Putin wants to reconstitute the Soviet bloc, which Russian officials deny. Meanwhile, Russia's relations with the United States have deteriorated, although the two countries are cooperating on hot-button issues such as Iran's nuclear program and Syria's civil war. Russia's relations with China are relatively good, however, even though the Chinese have eclipsed Russia economically in recent years.