The chapter explores the sources and implications of Russia's increasing "revisionist" attitudes toward the post-Cold War international order. The central argument is that the current Russia-West controversies are rooted in fundamentally different understandings of the key international institutions, such as "statehood" and "nationhood, ""sovereignty, "and "international law. "From this viewpoint, an examination of Russia's revisionism, manifested in both rhetoric (advocating the establishment of a "multipolar"/"polycentric" world, repeated complaints of unequal treatment from the Western powers, appeals to Russia's "historical rights, "and claims for the restoration of "historical justice") and policy (the war with Georgia in August 2008, the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the support of separatist forces in Ukraine), implies a complex investigation of three important issues: 1. Imperfections of the existing international institutions designed to provide appropriate assignment of fundamental rights and duties among the nation-states; 2. The Russian leadership's status concerns, facilitated by the perceived "injustice" of the post-Cold War international order, dominated by Western values and norms; 3. Russia's inclination to pursue policies that have been denounced and condemned by the West. Examining these issues, the author reveals the driving forces of the Kremlin's revisionist strategy and estimates Moscow's ability to introduce "normative innovations" that may have profound effects on the ideational structure of the existing international society.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationA Closer Look at Russia and its Influence in the World
EditorsConstantinos Filis
Place of PublicationUnited States
PublisherNova Science Publishers, Inc.
Chapter4
Pages55-75
ISBN (Electronic)9781536156324
ISBN (Print)9781536156317
StatePublished - 3 Jun 2019

Publication series

NameRussian Political, Economic, and Security Issues

    Research areas

  • International institutions, International order, International society, Revisionism, Russia

    Scopus subject areas

  • Social Sciences(all)

ID: 45013408