Russia in global affairs

I have already written before that having emerged from the Cold War, Europe lost the post-war peace. The continent is on the verge of strategic degradation that may either become a caricature of military-political division into opposing blocs or a time of disquieting uncertainty. The military-political conflict over Ukraine can escalate as well.

Having won the Cold War (perhaps largely due to the courage of the Russian people who threw off a communist dictatorship and were prepared to take risks), Europe seems to be losing the peace.

A Chance for a Fundamental Renewal The year 2014 is likely to go down in the history of Russia as a time when its foreign policy course was tightened and its internal and economic policy guidelines started to change. The former was almost inevitable. It is a risky move but it may potentially be beneficial for both the country and the world.

Resume Russia has given up hope for joining the West in the foreseeable future. But it has not yet made a choice in favor of anti-West, let alone, anti-Europeanism.
Debates over the ongoing crisis in relations between Russia and the West revolve around the incorporation of Crimea, the global reaction to that move, and the future configuration of the Ukrainian state if, of course, it manages to survive (and I hope it will).

Resume The main reserves for Russia’s foreign policy and its influence in the next decade lie more than ever in internal development. And this is also where the main threats are, fraught with the risk of losing political weight in the international arena and the status of great power.

There is a widely-held view that military power – the main tool for the expansion of state agendas since time immemorial – is progressively losing importance.