Maria Kuznetsova’s book, "Russia Reimagined," details Russia's geopolitical evolution from the Soviet collapse to the present day, covering economic turmoil, political consolidation under Putin, relations with the West, and Russia's evolving domestic and foreign policies. Key Takeaways The Soviet collapse left Russia facing immediate challenges including economic disintegration, social unrest, and ethnic tensions. The leadership transition from Gorbachev to Yeltsin marked a pivotal shift towards market economics and democratization, though this transition was turbulent. Putin's rise in centralized power, leading to political consolidation and a managed democracy, is often criticized for its authoritarian aspects. Russia's relationship with the West is characterized by tensions stemming from NATO expansion, conflicts in Georgia and Ukraine, and information warfare. Economic sanctions against Russia have had significant macroeconomic and sectoral impacts, leading to policy adjustments and countermeasures. Russia's energy sector is crucial to its economic stability and geopolitical leverage. The book concludes by reflecting on three decades of Russia's geopolitical evolution and offering predictions for its future path in a multipolar world. Contributions of the Book - Geopolitical Influence and Strategies: The book delves into Russia's geopolitical strategies, particularly focusing on its influence in regions like the South Caucasus and Central Asia. It highlights the historical associations and ongoing tensions in areas such as Nagorno-Karabakh, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, emphasizing the need to thoroughly examine Russia's influence and interrelations in these critical areas. - Economic and Energy Partnerships: The book discusses the economic collaborations between Russia and European nations, which include trade, investment, and technological exchanges. These partnerships have facilitated mutual economic growth and technology transfers, although they have also faced challenges such as regulations, sanctions, and trade disputes. - Cultural Influence and Soft Power: The book explores Russia's use of cultural influence and soft power as part of its geopolitical strategies. This includes disseminating ideas and cultural exchanges, which influence Russia's broader global influence. - Unintended Outcomes and Challenges: The book addresses the unintended outcomes of Russia's geopolitical actions, such as the complexities and challenges that arise from its interventions and alliances. These outcomes highlight the intricate nature of international relations and the potential for unforeseen consequences. - Future Projections and Resolutions: The book proposes potential resolutions for geopolitical conflicts, such as deploying a United Nations peacekeeping mission and using international legal mechanisms for arbitration. These suggestions aim to foster stability and uphold international law in disputed territories. - Transformation and Challenges in Russia: The book examines Russia’s internal transformations and challenges, including economic and political shifts. It provides insights into the country's domestic changes and their implications for its international strategies. These contributions collectively offer a comprehensive analysis of Russia's geopolitical strategies, economic collaborations, cultural influence, and the challenges it faces both domestically and internationally. A Must Read.

Safe and Sustainable Arctic Shipping Management and Development presents insight into what is happening currently in the Arctic in shipping and natural resource exploration. It discusses the challenges in harnessing the potential of the Arctic and are geared towards achieving a sustainable and productive Arctic. It enables both researchers and practitioners to apply the theoretical knowledge obtained in the field to solve challenging Arctic issues. The book focuses on the management and development of Arctic shipping, including the use of shipping for natural resource exploration and the socio-economic implications of shipping activities in the Arctic. It covers the geography, planning, environmental, economics, management, policy, regulations, and governance of the Arctic comprehensively. It also closely integrates the implications of Arctic activities with indigenous ways of life. The book is divided into four major sections, namely Theoretical Settings, Economic Opportunities and Risks, Operational Challenges, and Environmental and Social Implications. This book is a quality companion to any researchers, policymakers, and industrial practitioners involved in transport and environmental planning and management as a solid platform for further research, planning, and development of appropriate policies and practices. - Captures the latest state of affairs in Arctic shipping and recent evolutions - Shows forward-thinking policies of the Arctic by leading scholars, predicting a very favorable future of the Arctic - Focuses on operational aspects—constraints, challenges and opportunities, and the extent to which shipping can become a development tool

In post-Soviet Russia, there is a persistent trend to repress, control, or even co-opt national history. By reshaping memory to suit a politically convenient narrative, Russia has fashioned a good future out of a "bad past." While Putin's regime has acquired nearly complete control over interpretations of the past, The Future of the Soviet Past reveals that Russia's inability to fully rewrite its Soviet history plays an essential part in its current political agenda. Diverse contributors consider the many ways in which public narrative shapes Russian culture—from cinema, television, and music to museums, legislature, and education—as well as how patriotism reflected in these forms of culture implies a casual acceptance of the valorization of Stalin and his role in World War II. The Future of the Soviet Past provides effective and nuanced examples of how Russia has reimagined its Soviet history as well as how that past still influences Russia's policymaking.

Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second largest city and its former capital. Situated within 40 km of the Ukrainian-Russian border it is one of those East-Central European “liminal” cities which became a center of modernization and pluralization in the borderland area, playing a prominent role in the process of nation building. Volodymyr Kravchenko’s expanded edition of Kharkov/Kharkiv, now in the English-language and including a new chapter on the reconfiguration of the Ukrainian-Russian borderland during and after the watershed Euromaidan event, uniquely uncovers the city’s long history, from the 17th century to today. Addressing issues of regional and national identities, Ukrainian-Russian relations, mental mapping, historical narratives and the ensuing de/reconstruction of national mythologies, this book, fills a unique gap in the literature on Kharkiv.

The metaphor of the nomad may at first seem surprising for Russia given its history of serfdom, travel restrictions, and strict social hierarchy. But as the imperial center struggled to tame a vast territory with ever-expanding borders, ideas of mobility, motion, travel, wandering, and homelessness came to constitute important elements in the discourse about national identity. For Russians of the nineteenth century national identity was anything but stable. This rootlessness is at the core of A Nation Astray. Here, Ingrid Anne Kleespies traces the image of the nomad and its relationship to Russian national identity through the debates and discussion of literary works by seminal writers like Karamzin, Pushkin, Chaadaev, Goncharov, and Dostoevsky. Appealing to students of Russian Romanticism, nationhood, and identity, as well as general readers interested in exile and displacement as elements of the human condition, this interdisciplinary work illuminates the historical and philosophical underpinnings of a basic aspect of Russian self-determination: the nomadic constitution of the Russian nation.

World trade and investment law is in crisis: new and progressive ideas are needed. Rules that facilitated globalization and supported global economic growth are being challenged. A system of global governance that once seemed secure is now at risk as the United States ignores the rules while developing countries struggle to escape restrictions. Some want to tear global institutions and agreements down while others try desperately to maintain the status quo. Rejecting both options, a group of trade and investment law experts from 10 countries, South and North, have joined hands to propose ideas for a new world trade and investment law that would maintain global growth while distributing costs and benefi ts more fairly. Paying special attention to those who have suffered from trade dislocation and to restrictions that have hampered innovative growth strategies in developing countries, they outline a progressive trade and investment law agenda in World Trade and Investment Law Reimagined.

The definitive guide to the history of nuclear arms control by a wise eavesdropper and masterful storyteller, Michael Krepon. The greatest unacknowledged diplomatic achievement of the Cold War was the absence of mushroom clouds. Deterrence alone was too dangerous to succeed; it needed arms control to prevent nuclear warfare. So, U.S. and Soviet leaders ventured into the unknown to devise guardrails for nuclear arms control and to treat the Bomb differently than other weapons. Against the odds, they succeeded. Nuclear weapons have not been used in warfare for three quarters of a century. This book is the first in-depth history of how the nuclear peace was won by complementing deterrence with reassurance, and then jeopardized by discarding arms control after the Cold War ended. Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace tells a remarkable story of high-wire acts of diplomacy, close calls, dogged persistence, and extraordinary success. Michael Krepon brings to life the pitched battles between arms controllers and advocates of nuclear deterrence, the ironic twists and unexpected outcomes from Truman to Trump. What began with a ban on atmospheric testing and a nonproliferation treaty reached its apogee with treaties that mandated deep cuts and corralled "loose nukes" after the Soviet Union imploded. After the Cold War ended, much of this diplomatic accomplishment was cast aside in favor of freedom of action. The nuclear peace is now imperiled by no less than four nuclear-armed rivalries. Arms control needs to be revived and reimagined for Russia and China to prevent nuclear warfare. New guardrails have to be erected. Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace is an engaging account of how the practice of arms control was built from scratch, how it was torn down, and how it can be rebuilt.