In the following pages we will examine the many reasons as to why this question is currently being posed. Firstly, we will look at Russia's history on the international scene and how they have not really changed their agenda throughout the last century, up into the present. Along with the brief history, we shall elaborate on the reasons why the CIS was founded. Furthermore, modern day Russia seems to feel the need to impose itself upon these new sovereign states for various reasons that we will elaborate upon. Lastly, the members of the CIS see Russia as both a friend and foe to the organisation, which will be shown by looking at their interests and why they have divided views. However, to fully u

Because of the Kosovo bombings there have been threats by Moscow to form negative alliances with Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Iran and China if there were to be a NATO enlargement« L'expansion de l'OTAN qui montre sa determination a dominer la planete pour les prochaines cinquante et une annees obligera la Russie a recreer son propre potentiel militaire », ecrit Vladimir Kouznetchevski, qui ajoute : « On ne peut arrêter cette expansion que par la force.» However, an alliance of that kind would alienate them from the west, as well as financial aid. Albeit Russia's current preoccupation with the eastern European NATO expansion and the bombings in Kosovo, it has never had the intention to join the neither European Union nor NATO. Moscow has been offered, at several occasions, a place at the EU to calm tense nerves, but like with NATO, it refused. To join itself to either would mean subjecting Russia to the discipline and will of its former rivals, so they have chosen to counter it. They have participated in several European security meetings and are no stranger to dealings with the EU, but are too proud to accept membership. To compensate for this over sized ego on the global market, they depend on the members of the CIS, who are also "encouraged" to avoid contact with NATO as well. At times Moscow has been known use pressure tactics on the countries to get its way.

Peter the Great continued to fight wars in hopes of expanding Russia's borders and its economy, regardless of cost, which eventually led to mistrust within the empire. Russia was indeed a world power, influencing and controlling its neighbours. Having built such a vast empire was only part of Peter's public appeal, he was a very ruthless but enlightened leader, the kind that appealed to the Russian people. In one of the bloodier cases, he had 1000 members of a coup d'etat assassinated, a punishment that he himself helped administer. Upon his death, many school children were then raised to see Peter as a hero, and a model leader. Perhaps then it is not so surprising that in the decades to follow, his accepted ruthlessness would be passed down into the next generations of leaders, this time having stricter doctrines within the regimes.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Stanislav Shushkevich, Yugoslavia Yeltsin, Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz, Russia Ukrainian, Empire Peter, Throughout Russia's, NATO Moscow, CIS Russia, Georgia Armenia, soviet union, boris yeltsin, commonwealth independent, cis russia, la russie, largest country world, eastern european, country world, monde diplomatique, russian empire, russia's history,
Approximate Word count = 3069
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)