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Near abroad
The Russian term for the former Soviet republics that became independent states in 1991. Russian foreign policy under Yeltsin and especially Putin regarded these states as a legitimate sphere of Russian influence and resisted their integration into Western political and military structures, particularly NATO. The concept has no basis in international law but has been used to justify Russian intervention in Georgia, Ukraine, and other post-Soviet states.
Siloviki
Russian term (from "sila," meaning force) for officials with backgrounds in the security services, military, or law enforcement who occupied senior positions in Putin's government and state enterprises. The siloviki represented a different power base from the Yeltsin-era oligarchs and were associated with the reassertion of state authority, re-nationalization of strategic industries, and a more confrontational foreign policy.