How and why may we describe Russian policy toward the Caucuses, especially Georgia in terms other than a new Imperialism.

Russia's policies in the Caucasus between 1991 and 1994 were often inconsistent and confused. This was partly due to the identity crisis which affected the Russian political elite immediately after the demise of the USSR. The domestic political struggle in Russia led to the formation of two roughly equal camps, with almost opposite foreign policy agendas. Each of these two groupings was in possession of a branch of government and attempted to carry out its own policy regardless of the other. This ...