Russia\u27s Foreign Policy Under Vladimir Putin: Old Vodka In New Bottles

With the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has experienced a decrease in its international power. Yet it continues to operate within the mental framework of a great power, and is accorded that status by Western powers. The historical development of Russia has assured that its present incarnation, while ideologically distinct from Communism, still looks at the world through expansionist lenses. The Russia of Vladimir Putin hearkens back not only to its more recent Soviet legacy, but also to its distant imperial past. This thesis analyzes Russia\u27s foreign policy goals under Vladimir Putin. It examines the tools that President Putin has at his disposal to achieve those goals : the centralization of power, the Russian military, and Russian natural resources. In the first two years of his presidency, Putin has used these tools to secure his internal power base and exercise Russian foreign policy according to imperial/Soviet traditions