Russia and its neighbours: East or West?

White, S. and McAllister, I. (2008) Russia and its neighbours: East or West? Irish Studies in International Affairs, 19, pp. 43-56.

Abstract

As ‘Europe’ becomes more diverse, the countries that were formerly part of the USSR face new choices. One of the most fundamental is whether they identify with the economic and military institutions of the ‘West’, such as NATO and the European Union, or with the Commonwealth of Independent States and other forms of association with the Slavic ‘East’. We examine these choices in each of three societies—Belarus, Russia and Ukraine—on the basis of national surveys conducted between 2000 and 2008. Across the three, ‘Eastern’ orientations have more popular support than ‘Western’ ones, but Ukrainian opinion is more sharply polarised than opinion in the other two countries. There is more support for a ‘Slavic choice’ in Russia than in either of the other two countries, and particularly large numbers there who regret the demise of the USSR; but opinion on such matters is moderate rather than fundamentalist and does not necessarily exclude a closer relationship with the European Union and NATO.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: White, Professor Stephen
• Authors: White, S., and McAllister, I.
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > DK Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics; D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D204 Modern History
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: Irish Studies in International Affairs
• Publisher: Royal Irish Academy
• ISSN: 0332-1460
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2008 Royal Irish Academy
• First Published: First published in Irish Studies in International Affairs 19:43-56
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with permission of the publisher

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
46597	1	Bilateral Australia: Crafting Authoritarian Politics.	Stephen White	Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC)	ES/F026269/1	SPS - POLITICS