Russia's Foreign Policy

Now fully revised and updated, this clear and comprehensive text explores the past quarter-century of Soviet/Russian international relations, comparing foreign policy formation under Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Medvedev, and Putin. Drawing on an impressive mastery of both Russian and Western sources, Andrei Tsygankov shows how Moscow’s policies have shifted with each leader’s vision of Russia’s national interests. He evaluates the successes and failures of Russia’s foreign policies, explaining its many turns as Russia’s identity and interaction with the West have evolved. The author devotes a special chapter to Moscow’s recent shift to the rhetoric of state-civilization that has defined Russia as a country with special cultural values and assesses how these values have affected foreign policy. The book concludes with reflections on the emergence of the post-Western world and the challenges it presents to Russia’s enduring quest for great power status along with its desire for a special relationship with Western nations.