ABSTRACT
Russia’s military leaders opposed the idea of national armies—also being sought by Moldova and Azerbaijan—among Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) members, hoping instead to place the bulk of the former Soviet armed forces under a unified CIS command. While there was no agreement on the size and composition of the so-called Joint Armed Forces, there was no doubt initially that the nuclear forces of the former Soviet Union would be under the CIS Joint Command. What is still at issue is the nature of the relationship between Russia and the post-Soviet space. More specifically, what has yet to be determined is the degree of hegemony Russia is to exercise over these newly independent states. Ultimately, Vladimir Putin’s preference for bilateral over multilateral relations was evidenced when he abolished the Russian Ministry for CIS Affairs and gave its responsibilities to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Security Council.
