Although Russia may have made symbolic gains (its status as an indispensable player is fully recognized), the achievements are small-scale in practice. From the outset, Moscow has acted as a conservative power. It has tried to resist the destructive impulse of change, fearing the inherent instability generated by the ongoing revolutions will have a resonance effect that may one day be felt in Russia itself — in various forms, all the way up to jihad in the Caucasus.
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