The Russian Challenge to the European Security Environment

“Roger Kanet, a respected expert on the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia, has assembled a stellar team of scholars, from Russia and the West, to examine Russia’s policy toward Europe.  The individual chapters offer well-researched, provocative, and contrasting assessments, using theoretical frameworks ranging from realism to constructivism.  Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for the rebellion in Ukraine’s east have ignited a heated debate over the motivations and objectives shaping Russian policy in Europe. That makes this superb volume particularly timely.” –Rajan Menon, Anne and Bernard Spitzer Chair in Political Science, The City College of New York, USA This edited collection examines the factors that have contributed to the growing conflict in Eurasia between the Russian Federation and the European Union and the United States. The individual chapters, written by authors with different national backgrounds, highlight the factors that have contributed to the emerging competition between the two sides that has culminated in the confrontation over Ukraine and Syria. It also deals with questions concerning the possible emergence of a new security environment in Europe and Eurasia.