The Global Change of the Balance of Power – A Resurgent Russia in a New Asia

Alexander Ott
If you think America won the Cold War back in the early 1990s, you would be correct. However
a resurgent Russia is rearing its ugly head in many circles challenging its former rival on many
fronts. I will go out on a limb here and say the Cold War was never over. There was a retreat and
a break in the action which allowed Russia to revamp its economy with assistance from its
former enemies, America and Western Europe. Now it appears that Russia’s massive oil profits
have caused Russian President Putin to reinvigorate its military. Russian has recently used its oil
and gas resources and pipeline as an economic weapon to further its national security interests
with the Ukraine. In 2004, Putin after the Beslan school terrorist attack by Chectnya-terrorists
prompted him to take many internal steps to curb its new democracy such as; nationalizing the
oil producing industry, Kremlin appointed regional governors instead of electing them, Duma
(Russian Legislature) would now be elected from national party lists, smaller party blocs
prohibited, and the list goes on. The latent effects of these so-called reforms are to limit and
control political competition on a local and national level. The Kremlin can now interfere in the
national democracy when it feels threatened.
Freedom of the press is an essential component in any democracy and Russia’s current status of
its press is exceedingly sanctioned by reports of controversial subjects such as Chechnya and
article regarding Putin. Many journalists who are trying to maintain their independence now live
in fear and many have had their lives threatened. Prominent Russian journalist Anna
Politkovskaya who was a critic of the policy toward Chechnya was murdered outside her
Moscow home last October alleged by some by government hands.
On the military homefront, Russia has ordered the old cold-war long-range bomber patrols to
resume, dormant since 1992. These bombers fly routine missions over the Atlantic, Pacific and
are in striking range of the United States with nuclear-tip weapons. A more disturbing
development is that Russia has been looking east, towards China as its new partner. In August,
Russia and China conducted joint military exercises in the Ural Mountains inviting observers
albeit excluding United States observers. In 2006, Russia and China coordinated the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization to become a regional military bloc. This bloc has demanded the
United States withdraw from Central Asian Republics who have since 9/11 allowed American
military and support force for the War in Afghanistan to utilize their territory. Russia has also
been building its alliances with India who is now a strategic partner and a prime source for their
major weapon systems. In 2004, Russia and India held joint military exercises in India.

Through all of these domestic and foreign policy initiatives Russia has signaled to the United
States that it intends along with China to change the existing balance of power that has existed in
Asia over the past decade. Japan along with Taiwan remain America’s only steadfast allies in the
region and while the former Eastern Europe states align themselves with the West, Russia looks
to its east to build and even more formidable rival than the Soviet Union was to the United
States.