| This dissertation examines the international and domestic components of Russia's foreign policy-making in its relations with Belarus. A model that blends the two-level games approach with a leadership politics perspective allows one to detect a strong linkage between Russian domestic politics, particularly President Yeltsin's efforts to strengthen his power, and the pursuit of unification with Belarus. Three major variables are held responsible for the Russian president's disposition towards unification---electoral considerations, his political base, and his relationship with the Duma. The study concludes that the Russian president used the unification issue more to advance and maintain his domestic power than to effect a genuine union with Belarus. |
