Imagine an Algeria that is part of France, totally subsidized by the French budget, and at the same time, ruled by a local sultan whose praetorians are hostile to the French troops. Absurdity! Yet, this situation exists in Russia. I am talking about the North Caucasus; a region that hosts a number of sultanistic regimes that are openly defiant toward Moscow.

The existence of the North Caucasus “sultanates” exemplifies the difficulties of modern Russia. The country is a half-frozen, half-disintegrated empire which includes vastly different civilizational segments. One of the areas that is growing increasingly alien to Russia is the North Caucasus.

Russia is desperately racking its brains as to how to continue to survive. The logic says: Russia has to move toward the nation state model. That, however, would necessitate further disintegration and territorial contractions which Russians are not ready to think about. While the shrinking of an empire may be painful to contemplate, one may question whether this half-frozen state is durable.