LAUSR

CSTO member states. The main parameters for evaluation are their national armed forces and their respective military expenditures based on factual data from the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database and the World Bank database. Based on the data, the author concludes that among the five members of the organisation except for Russia (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), there is an asymmetry in power. Only Belarus and Kazakhstan have a significant role in defending the alliance thanks to a large military contingent and a sizeable military budget. The rest of the countries are significantly limited in military expenditure and the number of troops. In Chapter 7, the author explores the effectiveness of the CSTO as a regional security organisation, addressing the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict, NATO expansion and the US military presence in postSoviet Eurasia. Davidzon points out that the post-Soviet integration countries ‘prioritize national interests, incorporated in their multi-vector policies, over commitments to the allies’ (p. 170). The author makes a case for ‘shallow integration’ within the framework of the CSTO, meaning that its members are not ready to limit their sovereignty and delegate some of their national powers to supranational bodies. In the final chapter, the author concludes that CSTO members are willing to cooperate in areas that least affect their independence: preferential terms for armaments supply from Russia, specialist education from Russia and joint training. In terms of collective security, countries are more inclined towards bilateral cooperation with Russia than among themselves. Thus, there are still difficulties with integration in the post-Soviet space: it is possible only in narrow functional areas and precludes deeper interstate cooperation. The author has conducted an in-depth analysis of the CSTO as a case study of post-Soviet integration. He relies on a clear methodological approach, using a wide range of factual data obtained from relevant sources (the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, the World Bank database, national and international legal documents, news and mass media materials) and theoretical research. The book will be of interest to a wide range of readers, from researchers and students to everyone interested in regional integration issues, security cooperation and functional organisations.