Containment Lite: U.S. Policy Toward Russia and Its Neighbors: Map of CIS

Special Report
Containment Lite: U.S. Policy Toward Russia and its Neighbors
By John Feffer

Map of the Commonwealth of Independant States

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The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is made up of most of the former republics of the USSR. The 12 CIS members function as independent states; however, a central authority, modeled on the European Union, has restricted authority that includes establishing a common economic sphere and coordinating foreign and immigration policies, environmental protection, and crime fighting. A council of heads of state and a council of heads of government are the chief coordinating bodies of the CIS.

On December 8, 1991, four months after the attempted coup against Soviet President Gorbachev, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia founded the CIS. Two weeks later, 8 other former Soviet republics were admitted as founding members. Four days later, Gorbachev resigned as president of the USSR. Georgia joined in 1993.

The United States refers to these 12 CIS countries as the Newly (or New) Independent States (NIS).

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia became independent republics in 1991 and declined to join the Commonwealth.

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