Geopolitical Visions, Globalisation, and the Remaking of Russia’s Eurasian Borders

This paper traces how reconfigurations of Russia’s inter-state borders in post-Soviet space and in Asia are being rationalized through two distinct vectors: one which privileges modernization, cross-border flows, and is framed in terms of integration with the global economy; and an alternative vision, which is related to geopolitical imperatives and a response to shifts in Russia’s relationship with the West. The paper follows these two distinct narratives on integration in the rhetoric and speeches of the political leadership, as well as in the policy initiatives of the government. At times complementary, these world-views have
combined to further cross-border flows and investment, yet at the same time they have also thrown up new contradictions and tensions. Recognizing a dialectic process behind regional integration initiatives can offer us new analytical insights and possibilities for understanding the unpredictable and uncertain reshaping of Russia’s borders.