La Russie - Entre peurs et d�fis: Entre peurs et d�fis

Russia instils fear. An American president qualified the USSR as an "evil Empire" and the crisis in Ukraine has revived this notion, this time applied to Russia. One speaks of the country's "power to cause trouble" while others evoke the "genetic resistance" of the Russians to democratic aspirations. The Russia of the Putin era constantly creates distrust by incomprehensible behaviour and its image has never been so negative. Yet at the same time, Russia itself is fearful. Twenty-five years after the break-up of the USSR, the country, its elite, and its civil society are haunted by a series of spectres that arise from the recent crises it has been through and by the policies of the leaders. Caught between the desire for reforms and the fear of a liberal society, the country seems to be tempted by a new isolationism. This essay analyses all the geographical, historical, political, cultural, and geostrategic factors to make it possible to understand what is profoundly shaking up the country today. A precise and enlightening reading of the foundations of Russian power and its identity.