Borderland: From Latvia to Kazakhstan

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the disintegration of the Soviet Union has been the biggest political disaster of the twentieth century. And in this he is not alone. Many Russians long for the security of the Soviet Union and the territories that belong to it. They want Russia to revert to the world stage. The annexation of Crimea in February 2014 therefore increased Putin's popularity in his own country. But what brought triumph in Russia led to fear in neighboring countries. These are countries that often have a long history of domination by Russia or the Soviet Union. Or countries that, like Ukraine, have a large Russian-speaking minority. Ever since Roman times, they form the border between Europe and Russia, and have been under the boot of both sides. For these countries, it is a challenge to get closer to Europe without waking up the wrath of Russia. The future will indicate whether that is possible.