Lexington Books Eurasia on the Edge: Managing Complexity (Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European Politics)

Eurasia, wherever one draws the boundaries, is very much at the centre of discussions about today's world. Security across Eurasia is a global concern and has been subject to a range of discussions and debate. However, the current tensions over security and world order, with the growing challenges from Eurasia and Asia, require more intense scrutiny. The goals of the book are to explore the challenges facing the region and to assess how to achieve economic, social and political stability in the Eurasian core. The book's chapters are written by prominent experts in the field, and together contribute to the continuing debate by providing policy advice for managing crises in the region. Conflicts inevitably arise in the Eurasian space as global powers, regional powers and individual states jockey for positions and influence. These conflicts need not reach a crisis state provided the foundations of conflict, and the surrounding frameworks, can be better understood. To do this, it is necessary to examine the issue of security in Eurasia from a multi-dimensional perspective that challenges any and all assumptions about Eurasia and global order. This volume has two overarching goals. The first is to come to a better understanding of key security threats in the Eurasian region from a multi-dimensional - social, political, economic and institutional - perspective. The second is to discuss policies directed to increase mutual security in and around the Eurasian core. Although the crisis of security affects the whole continent, the area covered by the former Soviet Union and its neighborhood is at the epicenter of the current crisis. On the one side, the Atlantic community is consolidating and extending. On the other, various 'greater Asia' ideas are in the making. All of Eurasia is in danger of becoming an extended shatter zone, a vast new, shaky 'borderland' trapped between two great systems of power and world order. Review Eurasia on the Edge. . . offers a number of perspectives on key security issues in the Eurasian region and examines the efficacy of policies to boost mutual security. . . . the book advocates a top-down, state-centric approach to understanding and managing security that fits with regional understandings of security based on stability through authority. Eurasia on the Edge, then, reflects a certain vision of security in the region, one that is favoured by many of its governments, including Russia and China. The book's greatest value is offering an insight into these non-Western perspectives on this key part of the world-- "Europe-Asia Studies" Eurasia accounts for just over one third of the land area of the globe, but is home to over 70% of the world's population and makes up nearly 60% of global GDP. Immanuel Wallerstein once predicted that future political and economic alliances will divide Eurasia into two blocks: China and Japan together with the US will form one center, whereas Europe, Russia and India will form another. A different view is that Chinese "One Belt, One Road" initiative will unite the whole Eurasian continent. This innovative volume discusses another perspective that may be more attractive than the first two.--Vladimir Popov, Central Economics Institute, Moscow The rapidly shifting geopolitical, economic, and security dynamics on the Eurasian supercontinent will alter the international system for decades to come in the 21st century. Richard Sakwa has assembled an impressive international team of scholars to comprehensively assess critical changes taking place and challenges ahead for peace and global governance. This book will be of great interest to scholars as well as very useful for teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses.--Andrew C. Kuchins, Georgetown University The tectonic plates of geopolitics are shifting towards Eurasia where the divided West and the rising 'rest' intersect. As the East led by Russia, China and India challenges the Weste