The End of an Era
Russia’s Break with the West
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
The war over South Ossetia has brought about the end of an era in post-Soviet history. Mikhail Gorbachev ended the Cold War and initiated democratic reforms. Under Vladimir Putin and Dmitrii Medvedev, Moscow has sought confrontation with the West. All hopes of integrating Russia into the community of liberal-democratic states will have to be abandoned until further notice. Only after the unavoidable collapse of the current regime will a new start be possible.
(Osteuropa 11/2008, pp. 65–70)