Making Russia forever great: imperialist component in the Kremlin’s foreign policy

Ostap Kushnir

ORCID: Ostap Kushnir: 0000-0003-4058-8059

Pages: 41-59

Edition: Lublin 2018

DOI: --

Citation method: Ostap Kushnir, ‘Making Russia forever great: imperialist component in the Kremlin’s foreign policy’, Yearbook of the Institute of East-Central Europe, Vol. 16, No. 4, 2018, pp. 41-59.

Abstract: The article outlines the geopolitical rationale behind contemporary Russian expansionism, as well as presents the asymmetric and “hybrid” mechanisms utilized by the Kremlin to solidify its authority in the post-communist space. To do this, the article refers to the findings of American, British, Polish and Ukrainian intellectuals on the nature of the Russian political identity. The four commonly used theoretical frameworks explaining contemporary Russian expansionism are described and critically assessed (imperial, diversionary, divergent identities and “angry guy”). Apart from this, the Russian and foreign political philosophic thought of the XIX-XXI centuries is referred to. The latter was done to trace the evolution of the Russian Byzantium-type governing tradition and national identity. The article puts forward the hypothesis that Russian expansionism, alongside the Russian sentiment towards an imperialist worldview, are tested by historical patterns of national policy-making which bring the state to its civilizational glory. In this light, it will be futile to expect that Russia can fully democratize, build a Western type of a nation-state and start conducting open policies.

Bibliography:

Andrianov, V. and V. Loyko, ‘Employment of the Russian Armed Forces in Critical Situations in Peacetime’, Military Thought, vol. 1, no. 24, 2015.
Citino, R. M., ‘White death’, World War II, vol. 29, no. 2, 2014.
Darczewska, J., The Anatomy of Russian Information Warfare: The Crimean Operation, A Case Study, Warszawa: Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia [Centre for Eastern Studies], no. 42, May 2014.
Eberhardt, P., Twórcy polskiej geopolityki [The Fathers of Polish geopolitics], Kraków: Arcana, 2006.
Erasimov, V. [Герасимов, В.], ‘Ценность науки в предвидении’ [The value of science in foresight], Военно-Промышленный Курьер [Military and industrial currier], 26 February 2013.
Galeotti, M., ‘The “Gerasimov Doctrine” and Russian Non-Linear War’, Moscow’s Shadows, 6 July 2014.
Gelaev, V. [Гелаев, В.], ‘Где раз поднят русский флаг, там он спускаться не должен’ [Where Russian flag was raised once, it should never be lowered], газета.ru [gazeta.ru], 14 August 2015.
Haukkala, H., ‘From Cooperative to Contested Europe? The Conflict in Ukraine as a Culmination of a Long-Term Crisis in EU–Russia Relations’, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, vol. 23, no. 1, 2015.
Horbulin, V. [Горбулін, В.], ‘“Гібридна війна” як ключовий інструмент російської геостратегії реваншу’ [“Hybrid war” as key instrument in Russian revanche geostrategy], Дзеркало Тижня [Mirror of the week], 23 January 2015.
Horbulin, V. and A. Litvinenko [Горбулин, В. и A. Литвиненко], ‘Большой сосед определился. Что Украине делать дальше?’ [The big neighbour has made up his mind. What Ukraine should do next?], Зеркало Недели [Mirror of the week], 18 September 2009.
Hughes, J. and G. Sasse, ‘Power Ideas and Conflict: Ideology, Linkage and Leverage in Crimea and Chechnya’, East European Politics, vol. 32, no. 3, 2016.
Jackson, B. P., ‘The “soft war” for Europe’s East’, Policy Review, June-July 2006.
Kennan, G., ‘Long Telegram (from 1946)’, Wilson Center, http://digitalarchive.
wilsoncenter.org/document/116178 [2018-08-03].
Kennan, G., ‘The Sources of Soviet Conduct’, in: G. O. Tuathail and S. Dalby,P. Routledge (eds), The Geopolitics Reader, London: Routledge, 1998.
Kushnir, O., ‘Interwar Views on Managing Eastern European Space: Exploring Lypa’s Conceptualisation of the Black Sea Union’, The Central European
Journal of International and Security Studies, vol. 7, no. 4, 2013.
Kushnir, O., ‘Russian Geopolitical Interest in the Black Sea Region: The Case of Crimea’, Athenaeum. Polish Political Studies, vol. 56, 2017.
Kushnir, O., ‘Ukrainian Policies in the Black Sea Littoral: History, Current Trends, and Perspectives’, The Journal of Contemporary European Studies, vol. 25, no. 2, 2017.
Kushnir, O., Ukraine and Russian Neo-Imperialism: the Divergent Break, Lanham: Lexington Books, 2018.
Kuzio, T., ‘Russian Subversion in the Crimea’, Commentary to German Marshall Fund of the United States, 3 November 2006.
Lucas, E. [Лукас, Е.], ‘Цінності дорого коштують’ [Values are expensive], Zbruč, 6 July 2015.
Lypa, Yu. [Липа, Ю.], Призначеня України [Destination of Ukraine], Київ [Kyiv]: Фундація ім. Ольжича [Olzhych Foundation], 1997.
Narochnitskaia, N. [Нарочницкая, Н.], Россия и Русские в Мировой Истории [Russia and Russians in the world history], Москва [Moscow]: Международные отношения [Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniia], 2003.
Østbø, J., The New Third Rome. Readings of a Russian Nationalist Myth, Dissertation for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of Bergen, 2011.
Putin, V. [Путин, В.], ‘Послание Президента Российской Федерации от 25.04.2005 г.’ [Address of the President of the Russian Federation from 24.04.2005], President of Russia official web-page.
Rezchikov, A. [Резчиков, А.], ‘Имперский марш прошел по Москве’ [Imperial march took place in Moscow], Взгляд [View], 8 April 2007.
Roslycky, L. L., ‘Russia’s Smart Power in Crimea: Sowing the Seeds of Trust’, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, vol. 11, no. 3, 2011.
Russian Life, ‘The Forgotten Winter War’, Russian Life, vol. 57, no. 6, 2014.
Sakwa, R., ‘Conspiracy Narratives as a Mode of Engagement in International Politics: The Case of the 2008 Russo-Georgian War’, Russian Review,vol. 71, no. 4, 2012.
Sarıkaya, Y., ‘Georgian Foreign Policy after the August 2008 War’, Journal of Black Sea Studies, vol. 8, no. 31, 2011.
Sinkkonen, T., ‘A Security Dilemma on the Boundary Line: an EU Perspective to Georgian-Russian Confrontation after the 2008 War’, Journal of Southeast European & Black Sea Studies, vol. 11, no. 3, 2011.
Socor, V., ‘Advancing Euro-Atlantic Security and Democracy in the Black Sea Region’, Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 2005.
Szostek, J., ‘Russia and the News Media in Ukraine: A Case of “Soft Power”?’, East European Politics and Societies and Cultures, vol. 28, no. 3, 2014.
Thomas, T., ‘Russia’s Military Strategy and Ukraine: Indirect, Asymmetric – and Putin-Led’, Journal of Slavic Military Studies, vol. 28, 2015.
Torbakov, I., ‘Vladimir Putin’s Imperial Anxieties’, Eurasianet.org, 9 February 2016.
Torbakov, I., ‘What Does Russia Want?’, DGAPanalyse, vol. 1, 2011.
Toynbee, A., Civilization on Trial, New York: Oxford University Press, 1948.
Tsygankov, A., ‘Vladimir Putin’s Last Stand: the Sources of Russia’s Ukraine Policy’, Post-Soviet Affairs, vol. 31, no. 4, 2015.
Tsymburskii, V. [Цымбурский, В.], Остров Россия. Геополитичиские и хронополитические работы 1993-2006 [Island Russia. Geopolitical and khronopolitical works 1993-2006], Москва [Moscow]: ROSSPEN, 2007.
Visvizi, A., ‘Soft risks and threats to safety and security in the region: an overall assessment’, in: A. Visvizi and T. Stępniewski (eds), Poland, the Czech Republic and NATO in Fragile Security Context, IESW Reports, December 2016.
Wawrzonek, M., ‘Ukraine in the Grey Zone: Between “Russkiy Mir” and Europe’, East European Politics and Societies and Cultures, vol. 28, no. 4, 2014.
Zubkova, E. [Зубкова, Е.], Сталинский проект для Прибалтики [Stalin’s project for Baltic states], Open lecture, 2008.