ABSTRACT
The chapter provides a comprehensive empirical analysis of Russia’s agenda in the South Caucasus and brings clear evidence that Russia’s involvement in conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and (in a way) in Nagorno-Karabakh is driven by the Kremlin’s determination to use these conflicts (and the de facto states which have emerged from them) as leverage upon the three South Caucasian states – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. He identifies two instruments (military deployment and passportization), and two mechanisms (Responsibility to Protect and Alliance Politics), which Russia uses in order to pursue its interests in the region.
