Fortius Quo Fidelius?: Hierarchy and Bargaining in Russia’s Relations with Transnistria Abkhazia since 1991

This book examines how the unrecognized “republics” of Transnistria and Abkhazia, despite their loyalty to Russia, have occasionally challenged Moscow's authority. Both regions have used economic and cultural leverage to influence Russian policies, revealing a more nuanced dynamic in their relationships with the Kremlin. This book investigates how and to what extent the de facto regimes of the unrecognized “republics” of Transnistria in Moldova and Abkhazia in Georgia, albeit bound to Russia through loyalty and obsequiousness, can challenge the Kremlin’s political authority. Although such situations have been rare, they occurred when the so-called “Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic” (PMR) and “Republic of Abkhazia” were dissatisfied with existing security, economic and cultural arrangements with Russia and subsequently mobilized sufficient bargaining power to correct them. Transnistria’s resistance to Moscow’s influence has been mostly linked to its economic interests. For instance, Tiraspol has avoided entanglement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as supporting it would have threatened its trade with the EU which has surpassed Russia as PMR’s largest trading partner. Abkhazia has mostly projected its bargaining power when the Kremlin expected it to make concessions beyond its preferred range and threatened its distinct culture. Examples were the planned transfer of a state dacha in Pitsunda and a controversial 2024 investment agreement, granting property rights and tax benefits to Russian investors. Maximilian Ohle’s analysis demonstrates that the relations between de facto regimes and their patron state are more nuanced, active, and dynamic than a simple top-down approach reveals. Transnistria and Abkhazia play a greater role than usually assumed within the wider geostrategic rivalry between the West and Russia in the post-Soviet space.