Fueled in part by the Ukraine war, tensions have been mounting within some of the former lands of the Soviet Union, pitting those favoring closer relations with Russia against those orientated more toward Europe. Many of those tensions predate the war, rooted in longstanding domestic struggles over power, money, and other issues, but they have been amplified by geopolitics, with both Russia and the West pushing countries to choose a side.
Fearful of losing influence, Moscow has issued blunt warnings to countries like Georgia and Moldova: Remember what happened in Ukraine. Without threatening to invade either country, it has pointed to the tumult and bloodshed that followed Ukraine's tilt toward the West after a popular revolt in 2014 ousted its pro-Russian president.
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