Territorial claims: who wants how much from Russia

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From time immemorial, territorial claims had a significant impact on government policy, although the farther we go from the Middle Ages, the disputes over small islands, gulfs and patches of land seem less reasonable.

However, from time to time the issue of territorial claims attracts attention.

In the modern world, the value of territorial disputes is still falling: more and more states today realize that a large territory is not a cause for pride at all, but if we talk about the past (sometimes very close), then

From the depths

Historical scholars usually divide territorial disputes into several categories. These are disputes over areas of military strategic importance, economic importance and political importance.

This division is rather conditional, since in each disputed case there are specific features and nuances.

Territories that may become "transit points" for attack in the event of war are of military significance. Especially roads to states are areas that can be used for intelligence activities, today, for example, to deploy radar stations.

Economically important regions include straits, canals, as well as territories rich in natural resources or having great potential for the development of tourism business. Most often, disputes between states arise during the division of aquatic areas rich in fish, as well as in defining the boundaries of oil shelves.

Territories that are historically controversial are of political importance, and usually they do not play an important role geographically or economically. But territorial claims can be a way to gain political points in the election campaign.

Who claims what

Today, almost everyone knows that some of the Kuril Islands are the subject of Japan’s territorial claims. But not only Japan makes territorial claims to Russia.

The question of the current borders was periodically raised or raised by other neighbors, not to mention the former Soviet republics. The roots of these problems go deep in the centuries when a lot of different lands were annexed to the Russian Empire. The structure of the Russian Empire included the present Finland, and a large part of Poland, the Caucasus, and the famous Alaska.

After the redistribution of the world map as a result of wars in the 20th century, many controversial issues, if not left unresolved, left a significant imprint on the “collective unconscious” nations-neighbors. After the collapse of the USSR, several problems increased. On the length of the borders of Russia and ranks first in the world - 60 thousands of kilometers.

Moving along the border, we will comment on the problems in relations with neighboring states related to the territorial issue.

Russia v USA

Russia and the United States have the longest sea border in the world. The only problem for a long time was the question of the delimitation of the waters of the Bering Strait. In 1990, an agreement was signed between the two USSR and the USA on the delimitation of maritime spaces (territorial waters, economic zone and shelf were delimited). It is about five thousand kilometers.

Russia v Japan

Russia and Japan do not have a border treaty. There is no peace treaty. The Japanese link his conclusion with the solution of the problem of the South Kuriles.

Russia v North Korea

There is an agreement on the demarcation (designation on the ground) of borders and the delimitation of sea space, the boundaries are clearly marked not only on the map, but also on the terrain. And securely guarded. North Koreans illegally penetrate into China, Japan and South Korea much more often, and the majority of North Korean illegal immigrants, who were written by the media in 1990, were workers who fled from the DPRK logging enterprises in Russia.

Russia v China

Border disputes overshadowed the relations between the USSR and the PRC, starting with the 1960s. The culmination of border disputes are the 1969 events of the year, when China put more than one thousand of its soldiers in the battle for Damansky Island (at that time this piece of land, one and a half kilometers wide, covered with silt and covered with reed, was not yet a peninsula).

In 1991, an agreement was signed on the demarcation of the eastern part of the border with a length of about 4200 km. Demarcation complete. However, the parties failed to agree on two of its sections: on the Argun River (Bolshoi Island) and on the Amur River (Bolshoi Ussuriysky and Tarabarov Islands). It was not possible even to delimit the borders (mark them on the map), not to mention the demarcation.

On the western border of China with Russia, a length of about 50 km, there is an agreement on delimitation. Started demarcation.

Russia v Mongolia

There are border agreements and demarcation agreements.

Russia v Kazakhstan

The question of the border has not yet been raised by either side. Now there is a very conditional "inter-republican border."

Caspian Sea

The Russian-Iranian agreements on the division of the Caspian Sea are in force. However, the new independent Caspian states - Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan - require the division of the Caspian (above all its bottom). Azerbaijan, without waiting for the determination of the status of the Caspian Sea, has already begun to develop its mineral resources.

Russia v Azerbaijan

A bilateral border delimitation commission has been established. Its activities are complicated by the fact that in some areas on both sides of the border Lezgins live - the people find themselves divided.

Russia v Georgia

The border delimitation commission is working with 1993. Its activities are hampered by the presence of unrecognized entities in Abkhazia, South Ossetia (Georgia) and Chechnya (Russia). The problems of the Black Sea border have not been resolved: the territorial waters, the economic zone and the shelf have to be separated.

Russia v Turkey

All border problems were solved in the Soviet period.

Russia v Ukraine

Russia believes that the Sea of ​​Azov with the Kerch Strait should be considered the inland sea of ​​Russia and Ukraine. Kiev insists on its section. The problems of the land frontier are discussed together with the whole complex of bilateral Russian-Ukrainian problems and are solved as hard as everyone else.

РRussia v Belarus

The question of the border between the two states has not yet been raised.

Russia v Latvia

Latvia, after gaining independence in 1991, raised the issue of recognizing the 1920 agreement with the RSFSR and the illegality of transferring the Abrensky (Pytalovsky) region of Latvia to Russia at the end of the 1940 years to Russia. Actually, Latvia did not demand the return of the territories, and in the middle of the 1990s, in general, removed all claims against Russia, fulfilling the conditions necessary for joining the EU.

Russia v Estonia

Despite claims by a number of media outlets, Estonia does not officially make claims against Russia.

Kaliningrad region

This Russian semi-enclave has common borders with Poland and Lithuania. There are no border problems here, although, according to a number of Russian media, the idea of ​​annexing the region is growing in Germany and Lithuania.

Russia v Lithuania

The border demarcation agreement has been signed. However, Russia has not yet ratified this treaty.

Russia v Finland

There is an agreement on the state border, documents on its demarcation are signed.

Russia v Norway

The land border and territorial waters are decorated with the appropriate documents and demarcated. The main problem of bilateral relations is the delimitation of the maritime economic zone and the shelf. Negotiations about this unsuccessfully go with 1970. Norwegians believe that the Russian “polar possession boundary” should be revised, and insist on the principle of equal distance from the border possessions of both countries.

The border of the polar possessions of Russia was established by a resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee in 1926. This sector, which rests against the North Pole, includes all the islands of the eastern Arctic Ocean. Many countries are increasingly making statements about its illegality.

How real are the claims

It is unlikely that any of Russia's current neighbors are able to get involved in a war in order to fulfill their territorial claims. However, in the modern world there are many other ways to achieve your goals. Russian experts are very fond of building scenarios like:

"Border conflicts are possible, fussing over border demarcation, as was the case with the Upper Lars border point on the border with Georgia"
“It’s impossible not to take into account the possible provocation of ethnic and interethnic conflicts on the territory of Russia from outside. As is happening now in the Caucasus in connection with Chechnya, on the border with Dagestan, with Abkhazia and Georgia.”
"A gradual change is possible not in favor of the Russian citizens of the ethnic balance in the adjacent Far Eastern territories in connection with the penetration and resettlement of Chinese citizens there."
"A kind of" economic blackmail "as a reaction to an internal cataclysm in Russia. If something happens to us, some of our neighbors can present Russia, as bills of exchange, for their deferred territorial claims."

It is interesting

In addition, according to the calculations of journalists, in Russia itself in the last 10 years, the order of 30 territorial claims of the subjects of the Federation to each other was manifested.

Moscow is arguing with the Moscow Region about the ownership of the Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports, the Tver Region with Yaroslavl about the islands on the Mologa River. Shadrinsky and Dolmatovsky districts of the Kurgan region are borne by the Sverdlovsk region. Kalmykia and Astrakhan region are hostile because of the disputed territories. And this is not a complete list.

Particularly dangerous are regions such as Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, in which calls for separation have long been heard.
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  1. longed
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    22 December 2010 20: 19
    Deprecated 2002 information!

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