Cold Peace

"This important and timely book will be a revelatory shock to most readers. It exposes vividly what has been ignored by most U.S. policymakers, from the White House down: namely, that Russia's policies towards the countries of the former Soviet Bloc are still being influenced by an ominously imperialist nostalgia. I know of no other work which so effectively combines analysis with hitherto unknown and highly sensitive data."--Zbigniew Brzezinski, Former National Security Adviser to the President

"Bugajski eloquently analyzes how Russia is targeting weak links among the East European states as it reassesses itself and its national interests in the context of its current nonsuperpower status. [His] attention to detail is masterful, and his presentation is compelling...."--Victor Jackovich, Former U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia, and Moldova

The Russian regime under President Vladimir Putin has embarked on a coherent long-term strategy to regain its influence over former satellites and to limit Western penetration in key parts of this region. Moscow is intent on steadily rebuilding Russia as a major power on the Eurasian stage and will use its neighbors as a springboard for expanding its dominance. In this first systematic analysis detailing Russia's post-Cold War imperialism, Bugajski challenges the contemporary equivalent of Cold War appeasement, which views Russia as a benign and pragmatic power that seeks cooperation and integration with the West.

Janusz Bugajski is director of the CSIS Eastern Europe Project and the author of Political Parties of Eastern Europe (M.E. Sharpe/CSIS, 2002) and Ethnic Politics in Eastern Europe (M.E. Sharpe/CSIS, 1994).