Russia’s Leadership of Regional Integration in Eurasia

Abstract

This chapter looks at regional integration projects in the postcommunist Eurasia, defined as the former Soviet space plus China, from the point of view of Russia’s leadership of this process. It argues that new regionalism is as much about identity and status projections as about political economy. The newly emerging leaders, such as the BRICS, have little choice but to accept increasing responsibility for the affairs of their neighborhoods. Russia’s critics perceive its efforts at creation of the Eurasian Economic Union as neo-hegemonic and perhaps, neoimperialist in nature. The chapter contests this position, while addressing Eurasian regionalist projects as a subset of the new regionalism (NR) developments that had emerged in response to neoliberal globalization and represent adaptive and corrective reactions to it. Russia’s leadership in Eurasia is being challenged by China, since Beijing’s strategic interest in the region has grown. Institutionalization of this competition within the boundaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) helps to channel it into constructive action and mitigates potential conflicts. Even though acceptance of Russia’s leadership of the region became more difficult following recent developments in Ukraine, the Central Asian states are keen on using regional integration as a balancing tool between Russia and China.