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The '''Near abroad''' in the post-[[Cold War]] era is the [[Russia]]n term applied to former [[Soviet]] Republics which the [[Russian Federation]] considers its [[sphere of influence]].  Just as the [[United Kingdom]] would never allow [[Dublin]] harbor or the [[United States]] allow Acapulco to be used as a non-allied naval base despite existing on [[sovereign]] territory outside the UK or US, so too does the Russian Federation consider efforts to turn Sevastopol in the [[Crimea]] on the [[Black Sea]] into a [[NATO]] base as a vital [[national security]] threat.

The '''Near abroad''' in the post-[[Cold War]] era is the [[Russia]]n term applied to former [[Soviet]] Republics which the [[Russian Federation]] considers its [[sphere of influence]].  Just as the [[United Kingdom]] would never allow [[Dublin]] harbor or the [[United States]] allow Acapulco to be used as a non-allied naval base despite existing on [[sovereign]] territory outside the UK or US, so too does the Russian Federation consider efforts to turn [[Sevastopol]] in the [[Crimea]] on the [[Black Sea]] into a [[NATO]] base as a vital [[national security]] threat.

[[Samuel Huntington]] wrote in 1995 in his ''[[Clash of Civilizations]]'' after the demise of the Soviet Union,

[[Samuel P. Huntington]] wrote in 1995 in his ''[[Clash of Civilizations]]'' after the demise of the Soviet Union,

{{quotebox-float| the restraint of Russian and Ukrainian leaders prevented this issue from generating violence, and the election two months later of the pro-Russian Kuchma as Ukrainian president undermined the Crimean thrust for secession.

{{quotebox-float| the restraint of Russian and Ukrainian leaders prevented this issue from generating violence, and the election two months later of the pro-Russian [[Kuchma]] as Ukrainian president undermined the Crimean thrust for secession.

That election did, however, raise the possibility of the western part of the country seceding from a Ukraine that was drawing closer and closer to Russia. Some Russians might welcome this. As one Russian general put it, "Ukraine or rather [[Donbas|Eastern Ukraine]] will come back in five, ten or fifteen years. Western Ukraine can go to hell!"  Such a rump Uniate and Western-oriented Ukraine, however, would only be viable if it had strong and effective Western support. Such support is, in turn, likely to be forthcoming only if relations between the West and Russia deteriorated seriously and came to resemble those of the Cold War.<ref>https://www.eurotrib.com/comments/2014/3/1/204/17909/65?mode=alone;showrate=1#65</ref>}}

That election did, however, raise the possibility of the western part of the country seceding from a Ukraine that was drawing closer and closer to Russia. Some Russians might welcome this. As one Russian general put it, "Ukraine or rather [[Donbas|Eastern Ukraine]] will come back in five, ten or fifteen years. Western Ukraine can go to hell!"  Such a rump Uniate and Western-oriented Ukraine, however, would only be viable if it had strong and effective Western support. Such support is, in turn, likely to be forthcoming only if relations between the West and Russia deteriorated seriously and came to resemble those of the Cold War.<ref>https://www.eurotrib.com/comments/2014/3/1/204/17909/65?mode=alone;showrate=1#65</ref>}}

==See also==

==See also==

*[[Donbas]]

*[[Donbas]]

*[[Monroe Doctrine]]

*[[Monroe Doctrine]]

*[[Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances]]

*[[Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances]]

{{reflist}}

{{reflist}}

[[Category:International Relations]]

[[Category:Russia]]