It's hard to say goodbye to an empire.
It's traumatic to part with former colonial possessions.
It's difficult to view former vassals as sovereign and co-equal neighbors.
A quarter of a century after the Soviet Union collapsed, large and stable majorities of Russians believe that Moscow still has a legitimate claim on the territory of its neighbors.
Is this just a case of prolonged post-imperial stress disorder that will pass with time?
Or is it a more chronic condition that will leave Russia's neighbors in a constant state of peril?
On this week's Power Vertical Podcast, we'll look at the implications of a new Pew Research Center poll in which 60 percent of Russians say Moscow has a legitimate claim to the territory of Russia's neighbors.
Joining me will be co-host Mark Galeotti, a senior research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and author of the blog In Moscow's Shadows; and journalist Anna Arutunyan, author of the book The Putin Mystique: Inside Russia's Power Cult.
Also on the podcast, Mark, Anna, and I will discuss what the new Pew poll shows about Vladimir Putin's public support.
Enjoy...
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The Power Vertical Podcast: The Empire's New Clothes
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