"Post-Soviet space" refers to the region comprising the countries that emerged after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. This includes Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and several other nations in Central Asia and the Caucasus, such as Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Armenia. These countries share historical, cultural, and political ties due to their past under Soviet rule. Since gaining independence, they have pursued various paths of development, with some integrating more closely with Western Europe and others maintaining strong ties with Russia. The region remains significant in global geopolitics.