The Raucous Caucasus
Svante E. Cornell
The United States must restore its leverage and credibility in the restive region caught between Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
The news from the Caucasus that reaches the United States these days is mainly bad news. We hear reports of widespread corruption, human rights violations, or clashes between warring nations. In the case of the Russian North Caucasus, jihadi terrorists fight regional governments run by pro-Russian thugs. Why, then, should such a small sliver of territory, with perhaps 20 million people, deserve treatment in a net assessment survey? The answer is that the importance of the Caucasus has never lain in its numbers or size, but rather in its role as a geographic, cultural, and geopolitical crossroads.
Related Publications
-
Is Australia Hedging Again? Not Really.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in his 2023 Lowy Lecture, emphasized that Australia’s foreign policy and national security are defined by a “complementary focus” on capabilities and relationships. Australia’s role as a […]
-
The US and EU, and the Emerging Supply Chain Network: Politics, Prospects, and Allies
The Global Supply Chains have evolved from simply logistical achievements to being the bedrock of the global economy. Driven by technological advances and geopolitical shifts, this transformation underscores the critical […]
-
Navigating the Indo-Pacific: How Australia and the EU Can Partner for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity
To navigate the choppy waters of the Indo-Pacific, the EU and Australia must be on the same wavelength regarding shared interests in rules, values, and an open and liberal economic […]
-
Report of the Webinar on China’s Himalayan Hustle – Part IV: EU, India, and US – Framing a Troika to Scuttle China’s Himalayan Strategy?
This report is an outcome of ‘China’s Himalayan Hustle-IV’ webinar on “EU, India, and US – Framing a Troika to Scuttle China’s Himalayan Strategy?” which was conducted by the Stockholm […]
-
China as a Black Sea Actor: An Alternate Route
China’s international role has expanded rapidly in the last decades, and the Greater Central Asian region, Europe, and the Middle East, to which the Black Sea region (BSR) connects, are […]