THE STRUGGLE FOR STRATEGIC DIRECTION: OBSERVATIONS ON RUSSIA’S EARLY 1990S FOREIGN POLICY DISCOURSE

Authors

  • Monjit Gohain Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Hemo Prova Borbora Girls’ College, Bengenakhowa, Golaghat, Pin-785702, Assam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v10.i8.2022.6483

Keywords:

Russia, Foreign Policy, National Identity, Post-Soviet Transition, Strategic Discourse, Early 1990s

Abstract [English]

The global strategic environment was drastically disrupted by the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union, forcing Russia to rethink its foreign policy in the absence of the institutional, ideological, or geopolitical pillars that had previously shaped Soviet behavior. Russia's foreign policy rhetoric in the early 1990s reflects a time of intense contestation during which conflicting perspectives arose amid economic collapse and political upheaval. (Soklov, 1998, p. 41) Russia's early diplomatic trajectory was determined by a disjointed strategic discussion that resulted from the lack of a cohesive national identity and a consensus over Russia's foreign position. (Melnikov, 2000, p. 106)

The study contends that deeper structural changes within Russia such as changes in governmental authority, economic instability, institutional rivalry, and the loss of superpower status were represented in the fight for strategic direction during this time. Foreign policy got enmeshed with domestic issues in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet collapse, forcing authorities to vacillate between revived nationalist inclinations, regional aggressiveness in the post-Soviet zone, and Western-oriented integration. These conflicting inclinations had long-lasting consequences for Russia's foreign policy, far from being transient uncertainty. (Karelin, 1999, p. 88)

The study examines how historical legacies, internal political rivalry, economic vulnerability, and outside forces interacted to influence the general discussions about Russia's strategic orientation at this time. This study shows that the early 1990s were not only transitional years but rather a foundational period that still shapes Russian foreign policy thought now by examining leadership perspectives, policy papers, elite discourse, and regional changes. (Denisov, 1997, p. 55)

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Published

2022-08-31

How to Cite

Gohain, M. (2022). THE STRUGGLE FOR STRATEGIC DIRECTION: OBSERVATIONS ON RUSSIA’S EARLY 1990S FOREIGN POLICY DISCOURSE. International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 10(8), 212–223. https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v10.i8.2022.6483

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 8 (2022): Volume 10 Issue 8 : August 2022

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2022 Monjit Gohain

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