Det slaviske triangelet - en studie av Russlands utenriks- og sikkerhetspolitikk i forhold til Hviterussland og Ukraina

This report gives an analysis of how Russian foreign policy ambitions towards Ukraine and Belarus changed during the period from 1991 to 1997, and by what means Russia conducted her foreign policy towards the two countries. The report also investigates to what degree Ukraine and Belarus were receptive to Russian demands and requests. On the basis of this analysis, the report is able to reach some general conclusions on how successfull Russia has been in realizing her foreign policy ambitions towards the two countries. The analysis is based on the realist framework of international relations theory, but identitive factors are also included in an attemt to enhance explanatory power. The report puts particular emphasis on how Russia’s relations with the West have influenced Russian policy towards Ukraine and Belarus. This is done within the framework of a centre-periphery and an east-west model. The difference between Russia and the two other countries is that while Russia found herself a periphery to the West she was at the same time a centre in relation to Ukraine and Belarus. The latter two were a periphery both to the West and to Russia. These positions had important consequences both for Russian policy towards Ukraine and Belarus, and for these countries’ receptiveness to Russian demands and preferences.