I know I’m risking my well earned reputation by posting anything counter to the neoconservative proclivities of this website, but how, pray tell, will Russia reabsorb its former satellite states? Militarily? Russia can hardly keep Chechnya under control, but we expect Russia to start swallowing neighboring states one by one?

Will Russia be able to handle more Chechen-style guerrilla wars if it decides to occupy former satellite states? If Russia does decide to do such a thing, then guerrilla was is what it can expect, and Russia has not shown itself to adept at counter-insurgency warfare.