In my opinion, Russia does not have much of a coherent foreign policy. What they do abroad is more like the side effect of internal policies than what is generally practiced by other great countries.
In spite of President Vladimir Putin’s provocative rhetoric, Russia is still much closer to the West than it is to China or Iran. I believe that on serious international challenges – such as weapons proliferation by Iran and North Korea – Russia and the West have been able to negotiate successfully. For Russia, it is a question of image and price.
Russia does not have a clear vision of the role it seeks to play in the world. The only objective that seems to guide the state’s rhetoric is to re-create Soviet-era conventions: strong authoritarian power, possibly even some form of renewed empire. The Russian people continue to eat it up, because Putin’s rule has seen the richest and most stable period in Russian history since the October Revolution of 1917.
But what about the future? That is hard to say. As long as Russia feels confident in its internal strength, it is not a danger to the world beyond its borders. If there is trouble at home, anything could happen.
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