Editing Second Cold War crisis (section)

==Background==

Following the victory of [[Gennady Zyuganov]] in the [[1996 Russian presidential election]], the [[Russian Federal Socialist Republic]] began reversing many of the economic and political reforms implemented under [[Boris Yeltsin]]. The new government nationalized major industries, restored the influence of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Union State)|Communist Party]], and expanded relations with former Soviet republics.

Between [[1997]] and [[2000]], several former Soviet states entered the [[Union State]], including [[Belarus]], [[Ukraine]], [[Georgia]], and several Central Asian republics.

The expansion alarmed Western governments, particularly the [[United States]], which viewed the Union State as an attempt to recreate Soviet influence.