Russian influence fades

The British Royal Institute Chatham House published a report which is showing that Russian influence over the countries in S. Caucasus and Central Asia is fading. However, Moscow applies different instruments to combat this trend. Methods include economic pressure, energy dependence, confrontations inside the country and Russian Diasporas. The Kremlin also exercises the formation of different unions, in particular the Eurasian Union, according to which Armenia has already joined and Azerbaijan and Georgia are distancing themselves from Russia. In Central Asia there are increases in Chinese involvement. There is also a tendency for all countries in the region to carry out their own independent policies and to not depend entirely on Moscow’s clumsy moves.