thumb|upright=1.3|The former [[Eastern Bloc
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In the political language of Russia, the near abroad () refers to the post-Soviet states (other than Russia itself) which became independent after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. American journalist and political commentator William Safire describes the term as the "most significant diplomatic coinage since the popularization of detente" that entered into the English language in early 1992. However, the usage of the expression is attested before Kozyrev became minister, giving translators a hard time.
"Near abroad" became more widely used in English, usually to assert Russia's right to have a major influence on the region, The concept has been compared to the Monroe Doctrine.
One of the indicators of the decreasing influence of Russia in its "near abroad" is the diminishing status of the Russian language (which had, among the languages of the Soviet Union, a preferred status of the "language of interethnic communication"): in many post-Soviet states (other than Russia itself), there is a sharp decrease in the knowledge of Russian among the younger generations.