As the Soviet Union steadily disintegrated, with virtually all of its 15 republics straining at the leash, Yeltsin gained the leadership of the largest – the Russian Federation – which placed him in a tactical alliance with independence campaigners in Ukraine, the Baltic states, and Georgia.
在苏联逐步解体，在其十五个加盟共和国全都迫不及待的摆脱其束缚的过程中，叶利钦掌握了最大的加盟共和国—俄罗斯联邦的领导权，并和乌克兰，波罗的海诸国，格鲁吉亚的独立运动者建立起了战略联盟。