Chutzpah and Realism: Vladimir Putin and the Making of Russian Foreign Policy Russie.Nei.Visions, No. 108, Ifri, June 2018
In the course of his presidency, Vladimir Putin has presided over a remarkable expansion of Russian foreign policy.
During the 1990s, Russia was a regional power in all but name. Today, however, we are witnessing the re-emergence of a global Russia, whose ambition and confidence are at a post-Cold War high. The conviction that it is integral to a new world order reflects not only a historical sense of entitlement, but also renewed self-belief.
But this progression masks major flaws. Despite impressive demonstrations of military might in Ukraine and Syria, and Putin’s tactical dexterity, Russia remains a weak power in many respects.
Bobo Lo is an independent analyst. He was previously Director of the China and Russia Programmes at the Centre for European Reform; Head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House; and Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Moscow. He is an Associate Research Fellow with the Russia/NIS Center of the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri).