CNA20151101RussianCompatriots.html

Mobilizing Compatriots:

Russia's Strategy, Tactics, and Influence in the Former Soviet Union

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Executive Summary

Understanding the Russian government’s attitudes and policies toward ethnic Russians, Russian speakers, and others with ties to the Russian Federation in other former Soviet countries has become critically important in the wake of Moscow’s seizure of Crimea and support for eastern Ukrainian separatists -- both of which Russia has justified as necessary to defend these populations. In this paper, we have sought to provide a preliminary assessment of Moscow’s perspectives, policies, strategic calculus, and operational instruments in dealing with these groups, which the Russian government describes as sootechestvenniki, or “compatriots.”

Russia’s government defines the term compatriots broadly to incorporate not only ethnic Russians and Russian speakers but also their families as well as others who may have cultural or other connections to the Russian Federation -- including its non-Russian ethnic groups -- directly or through relatives. Compatriots may have descended from former subjects of the tsarist empire or Soviet-era migrants (including those encouraged to resettle as a part of the USSR’s Russification policies) or may have migrated more recently. The countries with the largest shares of ethnic Russians in their populations are Estonia, Kazakhstan, and Latvia (23-27%) and Ukraine (17%).

Russian foreign policy and decision-making

Moscow has identified protection of and support for compatriot populations as a foreign policy priority since shortly after Russia’s independence, and official Russian foreign policy and national security documents routinely cite it as such. Nevertheless, in practical terms, Russian compatriots have often been more visible as instruments of broader Russian foreign aims than as objects of Russian policy themselves. Thus Russia’s compatriot policy is best analyzed within the context of the Russian government’s overall foreign policy goals as well as its objectives within its immediate neighborhood -- the former Soviet region.

Though Russia’s foreign policy conduct is increasingly assertive, in our judgment Russian president Vladimir Putin sees Russia as a conservative power acting in defense of its own vital interests in the region and elsewhere. This is the case even in Syria, where Moscow sees a serious threat in the potential return of Russian Federation citizens and citizens of other former Soviet states (probably including some Russian compatriots) to their home countries to promote violent extremist ideologies and conduct terrorist attacks. Closer to Russia, President Putin -- and most of Russia’s foreign policy elite and public -- sees his country as a great power, something that inherently requires stability and a generally secure environment within its neighborhood so that it can exercise its appropriate role on the global stage. This in turn calls for significant influence in the former Soviet region.

That said, President Putin’s decision-making often appears tactical rather than strategic and few if any within his inner circle seem to challenge his perspectives, goals, or approaches in defining Russia’s foreign and national security policy. Russia’s seizure of Crimea and support for eastern Ukraine’s separatist forces fit this pattern. While the former move was immediately successful, it has created a variety of predictable challenges and dilemmas for Russian policy -- especially in view of the limited financial and military commitment Mr. Putin has made so far in the Donbas.

In seeking to influence the former Soviet region, Russian compatriots can be useful to Moscow in many ways. Their very existence strengthens Russia’s argument that there is a “Russian world” (Russkiy mir) larger than Russia itself that lends legitimacy to both Russia’s great power status and its regional aspirations. To the extent that they identify with Russia not only culturally but also politically, Russian compatriots can amplify Russia’s political influence in the former USSR and provide political, economic, and military intelligence. Where they are alienated from governments in their countries of residence -- a condition to which Moscow can contribute -- their alienation from their own governments creates latent potential for unrest and another possible lever. Protecting compatriots is also politically useful both at home, to rally support, and internationally, where it can benefit Russia’s public diplomacy.

Russia’s influence operations

Operationally, Russia attempts to influence compatriots and their governments through several channels. The Russian government works directly with compatriots through Rossotrudnichestvo, a government agency analogous to the U.S. Agency for International Development that also has specific responsibility for assisting compatriots, and through its semi-governmental Russky Mir Foundation, which promotes Russian language and culture. Other tools include an extensive information operations campaign that aims to spread dezinformatsiya, or disinformation. This includes Russian state media, such as Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik; private media in Russia and other countries; social media, and cyber-attacks. In addition, business and economic relationships, corruption, and the Russian Orthodox Church are critical tools for influencing compatriots in the former Soviet region.

Implications

We conclude that Russia’s approach and policies toward Russian compatriots have several key implications for U.S. policy and, indeed, for Russia’s own policy. The following table (Table 1) briefly lists implications for Russia, and strategic and operational implications for U.S. policy.

Table 1. Implications for U.S. and Russia's policies

Implications for Russia

Using compatriots requires not only cultural but political identification with Russia.

Using compatriots may produce diminishing returns if they produce backlash in home countries.

Failing to deliver tangible benefits could alienate compatriots.

Compatriots are a blunt instrument not fully subject to Moscow’s control.

Provoking violent conflict is dangerous for compatriots and for Russia.

Reintegrating compatriots into Russia weakens their role as instruments of influence elsewhere.

U.S. Strategic Implications

Existing Western and Russian definitions of regional security are incompatible and will remain a source of tension.

Russia’s leadership is prepared to take significant -- perhaps even seemingly irrational -- risks to defend vital interests.

Moscow may be open to mutually satisfactory understandings to promote regional stability.

Tensions over Russian compatriot populations are likely to endure.

Effective host government management of compatriot populations’ grievances reduces vulnerability to Russian pressure.

U.S. Operational Implications

Better understanding Russia’s policy and actions toward compatriots is critical for U.S. policy.

U.S. messaging to compatriot populations is no less important than wider messaging in the region.

Corruption creates additional pathways for Russian influence in compatriot communities and beyond.

Russia is likely to continue cyber-attacks, especially in states with significant and dissatisfied compatriot populations.

Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1

Who Are the Russian Compatriots? .......................................................................................... 3

Definitions ........................................................................................................................... 3
Russian compatriots abroad ................................................................................................. 6
Integration programs ............................................................................................................ 8
Measuring success................................................................................................................. 9

Russia’s Foreign Policy Objectives and Russian Compatriots Abroad ................................. 13

Russia’s foreign policy ........................................................................................................ 13

Security and stability ................................................................................................. 14

Compatriots' Role in Russia's Strategic Calculus .................................................................... 22

Russia’s decision-making .................................................................................................... 30

Russia’s Operational Calculus and Tools in Influencing Compatriots ................................... 37

The Russian government’s direct engagement with compatriot communities .................... 38
Information operations ........................................................................................................ 39

Media messaging to Russian compatriots ................................................................. 40
Censorship of the internet .......................................................................................... 42
Cyber-attacks ............................................................................................................. 43

Economic influence and corruption ..................................................................................... 44
The influence of the Russian Orthodox Church .................................................................. 45

Implications .................................................................................................................................. 48

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 53

References .................................................................................................................................... 54

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Conclusion

Russia’s policies in its neighborhood are likely to remain assertive in the near term, particularly in dealing with states with which Moscow and Russian compatriots articulate grievances. Under such circumstances, examining and responding to Russia’s policies will take on even greater importance for U.S. policy-makers. Particular importance will need to be placed on how to counter Russia’s influence on Russian compatriots in neighboring countries, and its interference into the affairs of host nation governments. As part of this effort, an understanding of the host governments’ capacity to counter Russian influence in political, economic, security, and information domains will be paramount.

Our intent for this study is to have an initial open dialogue about Russia’s use of the compatriots as an influence tactic in neighboring countries. To pursue this task effectively, further robust analysis must be undertaken in order to assess Russia’s objectives, its strategic calculus, and its operational decision-making and tactics, and to understand Moscow’s perspectives and motives on its terms.

Mobilizing Compatriots:

Russia's Strategy, Tactics, and Influence in the Former Soviet Union

Executive Summary

Russian foreign policy and decision-making

Russia’s influence operations

Implications

Contents