The global influence of the USSRDuring Soviet times, Russia's geopolitical influence spread across the globe. Not only does it have a huge land area of 22 million square kilometers, but it also has a strong network of allies around the world. From the confrontation between the Warsaw Pact and NATO in Central and Eastern Europe, to North Korea in Northeast Asia, to Vietnam in Southeast Asia, the military power of the USSR was everywhere. In South Asia, India is an important ally;In the Middle East, most Arab countries were on the same side as the Soviet Union;And in Africa, the influence of the Soviet Union can be seen in coups d'état in countries such as Niger, Ethiopia and Mali. The Cuban Missile Crisis brought the threat of the Soviet Union to the threshold of the United States.
Decline of geopolitical influenceHowever, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, its geopolitical influence began to decline rapidly. In Europe, the Warsaw Pact collapsed, leaving only the Balkan influence;In Southeast Asia, Russian troops withdrew from Golden Blue Bay, ending their military presence in the region;In the Middle East, after the Fourth Middle East War, Arab countries gradually distanced themselves from the Soviet Union. This rapid decline in influence shrank the Soviet Union's land area from 22 million square kilometers to 17 million.
NATO's eastward expansion and the war in UkraineThe downward trend has not stopped. With NATO's six rounds of eastward expansion, many countries voluntarily broke away from Russia's sphere of influence. This trend continues into Ukraine. The outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war is a manifestation of Russia's attempt to resist this trend. However, the outcome of the war seems to have accelerated the decline of Russian influence. In addition to Belarus, the former Soviet republics, the three Baltic states, the Transcaucasian states, Moldova, and the five Central Asian countries have shown strong tendencies to leave. Finland and Sweden have applied to NATO, and the war seems to be looming over Moscow.
Historical Torrent and Future ProspectsIn just three decades, this trend has formed an irreversible historical current. Russia's resistance only seems to accelerate its decline. Under the fire of the war in Ukraine, Russia's forces are concentrated on this point, while pressure from other regions has led to a further collapse of its geopolitical influence. Like a needle puncture a balloon, the balloon will burst into pieces in an instant. Judging by this trend, a further decline in Russia seems a foregone conclusion, and it is only a matter of time. We must be soberly aware of this and take precautions to prevent it from happening.
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