ABSTRACT
The history of Russia is directly linked to the question of military power and wars. Military questions have traditionally occupied a special place in Russia's domestic and foreign policy over the centuries. Since 1240, the Russian state has been involved in more than 300 wars and armed conflicts, thus spending approximately 570 years fighting. In the 20th Century alone, national human losses to wars almost reached 50 million. The theme of this chapter is the future of Russian military power in the 21st Century. Russia's military future has a bearing on world security, in particular in the AsiaPacific region. Regardless of the dramatic changes inside the country over the past ten years, the Russian Federation remains a world military power, and a nuclear superpower. Moreover, the events of 1999 and 2000, especially the march of the Russian paratroopers to the capital of Kosovo, Pristina, and the second military campaign against rebels in Chechnya, have shown that military power remains an effective instrument for the Russian leadership in either achieving foreign policy goals, or to protect the national interests of the state.
