Comparing 1917 and 1991:
Having dissolved the empire, the new elites have been engaged in competition and cooperation between themselves to:
secure their control,
reform their political-economic systems,
find new places in the regional and global orders
THIS STRUGGLE OVER THE IMPERIAL SPOILS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE NEW INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN EURASIA
Some of them stick together (RF, CIS, GUUAM)
Others go their own separate ways, look for new partnerships
Meanwhile, many other states are exploring opportunities to expand their influence in Eurasia