By Peter Zeihan Russia is attempting to reforge its Cold War-era influence in its near abroad. This is not simply an issue of nostalgia, but a perfectly logical and predictable reaction to the Russian environment. Russia lacks easily definable, easily defendable borders. There is no redoubt to which the Russians can withdraw, and the only security they know comes from establishing buffers — buffers which tend to be lost in times of crisis. The alternative is for Russia to simply trust other states to leave it alone. Considering Russia's history of occupations, from the Mongol horde to Napoleonic France to Hitler's Germany, it is not difficult to surmise why the Russians tend to choose a more activist set of policies.