scholarly journals Trade-offs and inconsistencies of the Russian foreign policy: The case of Eurasia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-56
Author(s):  
Irina Busygina ◽  
Mikhail Filippov
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Great Power ◽  
Russian Foreign Policy ◽  
National Sovereignty ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Soviet Space ◽  
Ukrainian Crisis ◽  
Vladimir Putin ◽  
Former Soviet Republics ◽  
Post Soviet Space

In this article, we explore the inherent trade-offs and inconsistencies of Russia’s policies toward the post-Soviet space. We argue that attempts to rebuild an image of Russia as a “great power” have actually led to a reduction of Russian influence in the post-Soviet region. The more Russia acted as a “Great Power,” the less credible was its promise to respect the national sovereignty of the former Soviet republics. In 2011, Vladimir Putin declared that during his next term as president, his goal would be to establish a powerful supra-national Eurasian Union capable of becoming one of the poles in a multipolar world. However, Russia’s attempt to force Ukraine to join the Eurasian Union provoked the 2014 crisis. The Ukrainian crisis has de-facto completed the separation of Ukraine and Russia and made successful post-Soviet re-integration around Russia improbable.

Peacemaking as an important part of Russian foreign policy

2020 ◽  
pp. 63-68
Author(s):  
S. M. Ivanov
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Cold War ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Arms Race ◽  
International Terrorism ◽  
Russian Foreign Policy ◽  
Soviet Space ◽  
The Cold War ◽  
Post Soviet Space

The article examines such an important aspect of Russian foreign policy as peacekeeping. Russia has been participating in many activities to maintain and strengthen peace in the post-Soviet space and in other regions of our planet. This activity is successfully carried out in the formats of the UN, CIS, CSTO, OSCE, other international organizations and on a bilateral basis. The author notes that the role of peacekeeping is growing immeasurably in the context of attempts to revive the atmosphere of the Cold War, the ongoing arms race in the world, the build-up of nuclear missile potentials of a number of countries, and the intensifi cation of the forces of international terrorism represented by radical Islamist groups.

scholarly journals The Evolution of the Russian Approach to Multilateral Relations in the Post-Soviet Area

2014 ◽  
pp. 23-30
Author(s):  
A. Kovalchuk
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
External Environment ◽  
Russian Foreign Policy ◽  
Major Powers ◽  
Government Documents ◽  
International Environment ◽  
Common Interests ◽  
Soviet Space ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Post Soviet Space

The article is an attempt to comprehend the changes in the Russian approach to the post-Soviet space. The analysis, based on the official government documents and speeches of Russian officials, reveals the stages of foreign policy in accordance with the current situation unfolding in the international arena. The Russian policy towards the nearest international environment shows changes in tactics, semantics and its focus on certain spheres of cooperation for the realization of its own interests. At the same time, the goal of foreign policy and the importance of "post-soviet space" remained the same. Although the postsoviet space in not a geographical region, Russian foreign policy refers to it as a whole. Russian leaders looked at the CIS as for it to become the "new confederation", with time, it turned out to be a platform to share common interests. The CIS has become a Forum for the elaboration of improvised automatisms and solutions among the interested countries. The CIS is not only a direction of foreign policy, but also the key element of success in Russia's policy towards international major powers. Over time, Russian foreign policy became more influenced by the external environment than the internal political and economic situation. The post-Soviet space in Russian foreign policy has evolved from the space of problems and threats into the arena of potential cooperation and integration processes.

Russia and the Georgian and Ukrainian Conflicts: Some Remarks

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 408-417
Author(s):  
Babak Rezvani
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Moral Obligation ◽  
Russian Foreign Policy ◽  
South Ossetia ◽  
Rational Actor ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Soviet Space ◽  
Security Concerns ◽  
Near Abroad ◽  
Post Soviet Space

This paper critically discusses the current mainstream views on Russia’s involvement in Georgia and Ukraine and implements geopolitical reasoning and analyses. Russian Foreign policy is guided both by (neo-)realist and constructivist theoretical perspectives. However, reviewing Russia’s policy in its near abroad, it appears that it is formed on reactive decisions the results of which may not always be understood as advantageous from a rational actor perspective. In the Post-Soviet Space, Russia behaves in accordance with its imperial experience, which bestows upon its geopolitical interests a layer of moral obligation, combining with either altruism or expansionism, or with both at the same time. The Russian alliance with Iran, and their interventions in Syria, are explained mainly by security concerns. Russia’s support of separatism in South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Eastern Ukraine, and incorporating Crimea, do not yield advantageous results for the Russian interests from a rational actor’s perspective.

scholarly journals International Legitimization of Russian Foreign Policy Actions in the Context of the Ukrainian and Syrian Conflicts: the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ Conception

2019 ◽  
pp. 207-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asiyat Tarchokova
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Russian Foreign Policy ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Policy Strategy ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
International Environment ◽  
Soviet Space ◽  
Post Soviet Space

Introduction. The complexity of foreign policy actions’ international legitimization is determined by the use of unilateral approach in the new environment of world political processes. Due to Russian foreign policy’s intensification, the issue of international legitimization of its foreign policy actions has expanded and deepened in the post-Soviet space and beyond: it is obvious in practice, but not conceptualized at the theoretical level. Methods. It seems to be of utmost importance to consider the problem in the context of the recent most pressing events – the Ukrainian and Syrian conflicts, using the case-study method as well as through the perceptualhermeneutic analysis of foreign policy actions. Analysis. The need to do research in legitimization as a process of justification and achievement of a foreign policy position’s recognition is obvious. It is necessary to highlight the reasons for the ineffectiveness of Russian foreign policy actions’ justification instruments and legitimization policy. Results. The assessment and conceptualization of existing legal and political concepts is particularly important to build an international legitimization foreign policy strategy. The implementation of foreign policy action should be accompanied by the transfer of basic foreign policy values and interests, combining legal, political, and moral grounds. The improvement of the international legitimization mechanism, its tools’ rapid revitalization and operating flexibility can give Russia an indisputable advantage over other actors and allow it to ensure the necessary result for the foreign policy strategy and strengthen its positioning in the international environment.

scholarly journals A Rússia e o exterior próximo: potencialidades e entraves para um projeto de grande potência/Russia and the Near Abroad: possibilities and barriers for a great power project

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 582-607
Author(s):  
Marcos Paulo Dos Reis Quadros ◽  
Lauren Machado
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Great Power ◽  
Russian Foreign Policy ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
The Government ◽  
Vladimir Putin ◽  
Near Abroad ◽  
The Military ◽  
Power Project ◽  
Boris Yeltsin

Considerando a política externa russa dos anos 1990 até a atualidade, o artigo visa identificar a importância exercida pela região conhecida como Exterior Próximo para o posicionamento internacional da Rússia. Para tanto, investiga inicialmente o contexto de virtual ostracismo político e econômico que acompanhou o governo de Boris Yeltsin, evidenciando que a política externa russa do período flertou abertamente com o Ocidente e conformou-se à perda de prestígio decorrente da implosão da URSS. No entanto, a pesquisa salienta que as administrações capitaneadas por Vladimir Putin suscitaram uma revigorada assertividade da Rússia no plano internacional, reintroduzindo, na prática, um projeto de grande potência para o país. Através de análise que enfatiza os documentos intitulados “Conceito de Política Externa da Federação Russa”, publicados em 1993, 2000 e 2008 pelo Kremlin, o artigo sugere que o país procura confirmar e robustecer sua presença no Exterior Próximo justamente por considerar a região fundamental para efetivar seu protagonismo no cenário internacional. Por fim, o artigo discute as potencialidades e os entraves para os interesses russos na região, destacando as relações políticas e econômicas e o peso da coerção militar.Palavras-chave: Política Externa Russa; Exterior Próximo; Grande Potência.Abstract: Considering the 1990s’ Russian foreign policy until the present, this article aims to identify the importance exerted by the region known as Near Abroad to Russia’s international positioning. To do so, initially this study investigates the virtual political and economic wilderness context that has accompanied the government of Boris Yeltsin, showing that Russian foreign policy in this period has openly flirted with the West and conformed itself to prestige’s loss resulted from the URSS’ implosion. However, the research stresses that Vladimir Putin’s administrations have raised Russia's assertiveness on the international stage, reintroducing, in practice, a great power project for the country. Through an analysis that emphasizes the documents entitled "Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation", published in 1993, 2000 and 2008 by the Kremlin, this article suggests that the country seeks to confirm and strengthen its presence on the Near Abroad precisely because Russia considers this region fundamental to carry out its role on the international stage. Finally, the article discusses the possibilities and obstacles for Russian interests in the region, highlighting the political and economic relations and the military coercion’s weight.Keywords: Russian Foreign Policy; Near Abroad; Great Power. DOI: 10.20424/2237-7743/bjir.v4n3p582-607 

THE CONCEPT OF THE BALTIC-BLACK SEA ARC AND UKRAINIAN FOREIGN POLICY (1990 - EARLY 2000)

2020 ◽  
pp. 89-108
Author(s):  
Alexandr S. Levchenkov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Black Sea ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Caspian Region ◽  
Soviet Space ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
Eastern Baltic ◽  
Post Soviet Space

The article analyzes the influence of the concepts of the Intermarium and the Baltic-Black Sea Arc on the formation of Ukraine’s foreign policy in 1990 – early 2000. The use of these concepts in American, European and Ukrainian geopolitical thought, which historically included the idea of opposing Russian influence in the region, contributed to the increase in tension and was aimed at further disintegration of the Western flank of the post-Soviet space. The article proves that the design of the Euro-Atlantic vector of Ukraine’s foreign policy was already active under the first two Ukrainian presidents – Leonid Kravchuk (1991–1994) and Leonid Kuchma (1994–2005). One of the concrete attempts to implement the idea of forming a common political, economic, transport and logistics space of the Black Sea-Caspian region with a promising expansion of the cooperation zone to the whole of Eastern Europe and the Eastern Baltic during the presidency of Leonid Kuchma was the foundation and launch of a new regional organization, Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, better known as GUAM (composed by the initial letters of names of member states – Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova; when Uzbekistan was also a member of Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, the name of the organization was GUUAM), which is an alternative to Eurasian projects with the participation of Russia.

Russian revisionism in the Putin era: an overview of post-communist military interventions in Georgia, Ukraine, and Syria

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-106
Author(s):  
Barbara Pisciotta
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Global Level ◽  
New Classification ◽  
Military Interventions ◽  
The Third ◽  
Regional Area ◽  
Soviet Space ◽  
Russian Military ◽  
Post Soviet Space

AbstractThis paper seeks to develop a new typology of revisionism based on the nature of the aims (territorial/normative/hierarchy of prestige), the means employed (peaceful/violent), and the level of action (regional/global). This will then be used to explain the escalation of Russia's foreign policy from regional to global claims with reference to its military interventions in Georgia, Ukraine, and Syria and to identify the type of revisionism involved in each of the three Russian military interventions undertaken both inside (Georgia and Ukraine) and outside (Syria) the post-soviet space. The paper is divided into three parts. The first examines the concept of revisionism and suggests a new classification of six types in relation to the means, nature, and level of the claims put forward by revisionist powers. The second discusses the interventions carried out by Russia within its regional area (in Georgia and Ukraine). The third analyses the intervention in Syria and highlights the escalation of Russian claims from the regional to the global level.

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