Peacekeeping in the Soviet Successor States. EU-ISS Chaillot Paper 18, November 1994

Allison, Roy. (1994) Peacekeeping in the Soviet Successor States. EU-ISS Chaillot Paper 18, November 1994.

Abstract

[From the Introduction]. The main purpose of this paper is to analyse current thinking within the Russian political and military élite concerning current and future peacekeeping operations on the territory of the FSU. The following topics will be examined: current peacekeeping operations within the CIS; Russian military capabilities to actually maintain the peace in this region; the collective CIS dimension of Russian-led peacekeeping activities; Russian views of Western or other UN involvement in peacekeeping in the CIS and the extent of such involvement; the potential link between Russian peacekeeping efforts and nascent neo-imperialist ambitions; and the implications of these matters for the European security environment. This paper adopts the convenient shorthand description of Russian `peacekeeping' forces and operations in the FSU. In fact, as the paper identifies, such 'peacekeeping' covers a wide range of activities, some of which clearly diverge from the traditional United Nations and Western understanding of that term. In fact Russian statesmen use the term mirotvorcheskiye operatsii(`peacemaking' or `peace-creating' operations) more frequently in this context than that of operatsii po poderzhaniyu mira (operations for the maintenance of peace). The former assertive, even coercive, function may involve a strong element of enforcement. It requires careful examination if Western states are to be consistent in their advocacy of international norms of conduct in conflict management on former Soviet territory.