"On December 8, 1991, even before the Soviet Union was officially dissolved, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine met in the Belovezh Forest outside Minsk to lay the groundwork for the post-Soviet era ... For Russia, the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] has not served as a vehicle for exerting control over its neighbors. As an organization, the CIS has not succeeded at reintegrating the post-Soviet states ... this book offers a comprehensive assessment of how and why the CIS has failed. " (Quoted from "Product Description")