Eurasia in Russian Foreign Policy: Interests, Opportunities and Constraints Russie.Nei.Visions, No. 89, December 2015
The Eurasian axis of Russian foreign policy has been given several impetuses over the last two years. The most important of these has been the sharp deterioration in relations with the West against the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis.
In response to such changes, Russia’s approach to multipolarity has shifted: it is now understood to offer simultaneous access to several different sources of economic growth and modernisation. Success in Russia’s Eurasian foreign policy will require real effort to promote economic development and guarantee security. In the field of development, Russia has a great potential but starts from a weak position. It has a significant advantage, however, in being able to underwrite regional security, an essential precondition for economic development at a time when the risks of the region descending into chaos are high. The politicization of economic projects ranks among the major risks associated with Eurasian integration.
Ivan Timofeev has been Director of Programs at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC).
Elena Alekseenkova has been Program Manager at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC).