Former Soviet Repubics

Since the breakup of the Soviet union in 1991,Its former republics have attempted to take different political directions.Most came together in the Commonwealth of Independent States,which is still led by Russia.The Baltic nations joined NATO and the European Union in 2004-a course Ukraine and Georia have flirted with recently-while resource-rich central Asia republics have remained largely loyal to Moscow.But after the invasion of Georgia,former members of the U.S.S.R face an inescapable truth,you can't run from geography.Try as they might to move closer to Europe,many are now nervously eyeing a resurgent Russia on their borders.


The Baltics 1.Estonia 2.Latvia 3.Lithuania

Thriving,technologically advanced democracies with prickly relationships with Russia.Estonia blames Moscow for major cyberattacks in 2007.


Eastern Europe 1.Belarus 2.Ukraine 3.Moldova

Russia has held a grudge against Ukraine since the 2004 prodemocracy Orange Revoltion.Belarus has kept particularly close ties with Moscow,while Russia troops are currently stationed in a semidetached Moldovan territory.

The Caucasus 1 Georgia 2Armenia 3 Azerbaijan

A vital region for the west,which has high hopes for an oil pipeline through Azerbaijan.George W.Bush visited ally Mikheil Saakashvili in Georgia in 2005.Tiny Armenia which borders Iran and Turkey,readily accept Russian protection.

Central Asia 1 Kazakhstan 2 Uzvekistan 3Turkmenistan 4 Kyrgyzstan 5Tajikistan

There states are wedged between Russia and China.Several are resource-rich and endure varying levels of autocratic rule,a few have let NATO use land for bases.