ABSTRACT
It is impossible accurately to describe and analyse modern Eurasian policy, let alone ideology, because everyone understands them differently. The numerous conferences, roundtables and other events held in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s groundbreaking 2011 article in Izvestiya have added little clarity to the debate. Eurasianism seems more like a political fad or, at best, a concept that is applicable only to a handful of countries engaged in the process of choosing a development path. This in itself would be significant but still absolutely insufficient for the Eurasian integration idea to become a strict scientific and/ or politico-economic concept (much less a concept that can be critically evaluated for efficacy). According to the prominent scientist Dmitry Kwon, ‘Science begins only after you expose your result to critical analysis’.1 Thus far, there has been neither a result, nor any critical scientific analysis of Eurasianism; only the clash of opposing ideological and geopolitical stances.
The numerous publications on Eurasianism that appeared in Russia and elsewhere between 2011 and 2014, including some by the authors of this article, have contributed little to this effort.2 Scholarly articles either present the official position of the Russian Federation on Eurasian integration and become mired in details about the formation of the Customs Union (CU), indulge in philosophical speculation that is divorced from reality, or devolve into attempts to construct an ideological foundation for practical questions. Even in a Nezavisimaya gazeta article ostensibly devoted to scholarly problems, the writer notes in an aside that ‘practically all types of research and development require considerable funding, which Eurasian government agencies are reluctant to provide’.3
