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Russia and the challengers : Russian alignment with China, Iran, and Iraq in the unipolar era / Helen Belopolsky.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Belopolsky, Helen, 1976-
- Series:
- St. Antony's series (Palgrave Macmillan (Firm))
- St. Antony's series
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- International relations.
- Russia (Federation)--Foreign relations.
- Russia (Federation).
- Russia (Federation)--Foreign relations--China.
- China.
- China--Foreign relations--Russia (Federation).
- Russia (Federation)--Foreign relations--Iran.
- Iran--Foreign relations--Russia (Federation).
- Iran.
- Russia (Federation)--Foreign relations--Iraq.
- Iraq--Foreign relations--Russia (Federation).
- Iraq.
- Physical Description:
- xi, 264 pages ; 23 cm.
- Place of Publication:
- Basingstoke [England] ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
- Summary:
- Less than two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, China, Iran, and Iraq number among a cadre of Russia's closest friends. The resolute turn to the West which had characterised Russia's early post-Cold War foreign policy had, by the mid-1990s, been tempered by the move to a more reserved policy. On the contrary, the Bush Administration's tenure was marked by diplomatic tensions with China, unambiguous intentions to end Iran's nuclear programme and the invasion of Iraq.
- The question becomes why Russia has chosen to jeopardize its embryonic partnership with the West in favour of alignment with 'challenger' states like China, Iran, and Iraq. Given the emergence of American hegemony, it would seem that Russian alignment with these states suggests a strong connection with the United States. The author unpacks preconceptions and examines the true extent to which the American factor interacts with Russian economic, domestic security and regional objectives in driving Russian foreign policy.
- Contents:
- Approaches 5
- Methodology 11
- Broader significance 13
- 1 Perception and Misperception: Russia Looking Inward and Out 14
- The great identity debate 16
- Russia's post-Cold War role: the search for great powerhood 21
- Perceptions of the post-Cold War order 24
- 2 The Russian Institutional Context 29
- The Russian institutional landscape 32
- 'Challenger' states and Russian foreign policy-making 34
- Russian players in the Chinese context 34
- Russian players in the Iranian context 35
- Russian players in the Iraqi context 38
- Institutions influencing Russian engagement with 'challenger' states 40
- The Executive 40
- The Presidency 40
- Prime Minister Chernomyrdin 43
- The Russian Duma 44
- Ministries and related 'client' groups 46
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs 46
- Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations 49
- The Ministry of Defence and the military-industrial complex 50
- Ministry of Atomic Energy 55
- Ministry of Fuel and Energy and the oil and gas interests
- The oligarchs 61
- 3 The Wounded Bear and the Rising Dragon 65
- Factors in Russian policy towards China 67
- The economic dimension 69
- Military technology and weapons sales 72
- Nuclear technology sales 75
- Oil and gas cooperation 77
- Russian domestic security 78
- The Chinese threat 79
- Global dimension 85
- 4 Partnership with Iran: The Lynchpin of the Axis of Evil? 97
- Factors in Russian policy towards Iran 98
- The economic dimension 99
- Nuclear technology sales 100
- Military technology and weapons sales 107
- Oil and gas cooperation 111
- Russian domestic security 116
- Regional dimension 118
- The Tajikistan conflict 119
- Afghanistan 121
- The Caspian sea 121
- Global dimension 123
- Too many sticks, not enough carrots: American deterrence policy 124
- Rejecting junior partnership: defying America 128
- Iran and the international context 130
- Keeping the Iranians in and the Americans out 133
- 5 Russia and Saddam's Iraq: The Road to Nowhere 138
- Factors in Russian policy towards Iraq 140
- The economic dimension 142
- United Nations Security Council sanctions 143
- Oil-for-food agreement 146
- Debt collection 148
- Post-sanctions contracts 149
- Russian domestic security 156
- Regional dimension 158
- Global dimension 160
- Great power aspirations 160
- UN diplomacy: giving Russia a voice 165
- The utility of multilateralism 170.
- Notes:
- "In association with St. Antony's College."
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 220-256) and index.
- ISBN:
- 9780230545496
- 0230545491
- OCLC:
- 233813763
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