The end of a superpower - The collapse of the Soviet Union | DW Documentary

Summary by Krater

A documentary examining the path of Russian foreign policy over the 30 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, exploring geopolitical tensions, post-Soviet state dynamics, and the legacy of Russian power in Armenia, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine.

From the video

Answers: What has been the path of Russian foreign policy since the collapse of the Soviet Union?

• Russian foreign policy
• Post-Soviet states
• Geopolitics of the former Soviet Union
• Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
• Lithuania-Russia relations
• Kyrgyzstan political and religious landscape
• Ukraine crisis and separatism
• Vladimir Putin's presidency

What it concludes

• The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was an unprecedented event that left 15 new states struggling to find their place in the world order.
• Post-Soviet states sought a maximum of economic advantage from Russia while maintaining a minimum of political obligations.
• The dissolution of the USSR left 25 million Russian-speaking citizens trapped behind the borders of newly independent countries.
• Russia remains a superpower in military terms, but lags behind economically, technologically, and demographically.
• The imperial mindset and memories of the Great Patriotic War continue to deeply shape Russian collective identity and its relations with neighboring states.