Keywords
Russian foreign policy; geopolitical civilizational narratives; Putinism; major power conflict; world order
Abstract
This article sets forth the foundations for recent geopolitical civilizational narratives in Russia that are influencing Moscow’s contemporary foreign policy behavior and the future direction of the Russian “civilizational state” in the global multipolar world order. This article is not intended to provide justification for Russia’s foreign policy choices and actions, but rather the purpose is to explain Moscow’s official geopolitical narratives, and thus to provide a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the considerations informing Russia’s foreign policy behavior.
Vladimir Putin has been at the helm of leadership in Russia exerting unparalleled influence as President and Prime Minister since 1999. Putin has offered straightforward, often extensive, statements and assessments. These provide a critical source for understanding the development of the material and ideational considerations operative in Russia’s foreign policy priorities and actions.
Primary sources for this article are Vladimir Putin’s speeches and writings, statements of his predecessors, official foreign policy documents and analysis and debate offered by leading experts of Russia’s foreign policy and the International Relations academic community. Writings of leading International Relations experts based in Russia and affiliated with the Valdai Club and annual Valdai international conference closely intertwine with Russia’s policy and defense community. These sources have been particularly helpful in defining factors shaping geopolitical civilizational narratives and potential future regional and global scenarios and vision for the Russian Federation.
The analysis aims to contribute to the literature establishing the ways that national interest considerations -- NATO enlargement and other strains in Russia’s bilateral relationships with the West -- and a distinctive cultural-historical experience now influence geopolitical and civilizational narratives which might yield insights for both the academic and policy communities.
The article contributes to elucidating challenges that nations motivated by unique civilizational experience present for the existing Western liberal international order.
Recommended Citation
Cross, Sharyl and Okunev, Igor
(2025)
"Russia’s Geopolitical Civilizational Narratives and Strategic Direction in the Contemporary Multipolar World Order,"
Comparative Civilizations Review: Vol. 92:
No.
1, Article 12.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr/vol92/iss1/12
Included in
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