B2952 - Introduction to Russia's Foreign and Security Policy

Learning outcomes

This module aims at examining fundamental issues in Russia’s contemporary international relations and the making of Russian security policy. By the end of the module, students will be able to evaluate empirical and conceptual themes critically and to discuss and write competently about Russian foreign policy topics in the context of current events.

Course contents

This course will examine in-depth a range of key issues relevant to contemporary Russian foreign policy. The aim is to acquaint students with conceptual and empirical material within a broader international relations/politics framework. No prior specialist knowledge of these topics is needed and the lectures will not be theory-led, but students are encouraged to undertake independent study in order to gain a comprehensive appreciation of the issues we will deal with. The course complements that delivered by Dr Igor Gretskiy, ‘Russia, the EU and the Shared Neighbourhood’.

The course will deal with the historical legacies of the Soviet era; domestic factors in Russian foreign policy; Russia’s role in international and key regional organisations; Russia’s relations with NATO and Europe; Russia’s relations with the US, China and East/South-East Asia, India and South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and the Arctic/High North; foreign economic relations, including energy policy; defence/military policy; arms control and disarmament; conflict management and peacekeeping; terrorism and religion; asymmetrical/'hybrid' and information warfare.

Students will acquire a sound understanding of Russia’s role as an actor in regional and global affairs, its relations with external actors and key specific countries/regions. They will be able to evaluate key thematic aspects of Russian foreign and security policy in a contemporary context, analyse Russia’s role as a global power and the domestic factors underpinning this role, and reflect critically on how it interacts with other global actors. Students will gain an advanced understanding of conceptual and theoretical approaches relevant to the analysis of Russia’s approaches to global affairs, and will be able to apply them to conduct independent advanced research on Russia in world affairs. This specialist course will be taught by Dr Derek Averre, primarily in a lecture format but with two seminars that will allow ample time for discussion on key themes in Russian foreign policy.

By the end of the module students should be able to:

• Apply international relations concepts to the study of Russian foreign policy
• Demonstrate a wide knowledge of key issue areas in Russia’s international relations
• Analyse critically official Russian thinking on current affairs

Synopsis:

1. From Soviet Union to Russian Federation
2. Domestic sources of Russian foreign policy
3. Russia in international and regional organisations
4. Russia and NATO
5. Russia and Europe
6. Russia and the US
7. Russia, China and Eurasia
8. Russia and Asia
9. Russia and the Middle East
10. Russia and Africa/Latin America
11. Foreign economic relations
12. Russia's energy relations
13. Russia and the Arctic/High North
14. Defence/military policy
15. Arms control and disarmament
16. Conflict management and peacekeeping
17. Russia and terrorism
18. 'Hybrid' warfare and the ‘information war’
19. / 20. Interactive seminar session: key themes in Russian foreign and security policy

 

Readings/Bibliography

Key readings:

Bacon, E. (2024). Contemporary Russia. 4th edition. Springer.

Connolly, R. (2019). Russia's Response to Sanctions: How Western Economic Statecraft is Reshaping Political Economy in Russia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gel’man, V. (2015). Authoritarian Russia: Analyzing Post-Soviet Regime Changes. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Renz, B. (2018). Russia's Military Revival. Cambridge & Medford, MA: Polity Press.

Sakwa, R. (2017). Russia against the rest: The post-cold war crisis of world order. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tsygankov, A. (2019). Russia’s Foreign Policy: Change and Continuity in National Identity. 5th edition. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield.

Other recommended reading:

Hill, F. & Gaddy, C.G. (2013). Mr Putin: Operative in the Kremlin. Brooking Institution Press

Legvold, R. (ed.) (2007). Russian Foreign Policy in the Twenty-first Century and the Shadow of the Past. Studies of the Harriman Institute, Columbia University

Monaghan, A (2016). The new politics of Russia: Interpreting change. Manchester University Press.

Plokhy, S. (2015). The Last Empire: The Final Days of the Soviet Union. New York: Basic Books.

Robinson, N. (ed.) (2013). The political economy of Russia. Rowman & Littlefield.

Further recommended readings for each lecture will be advised prior to the start of the course.

Teaching methods

This specialist module will be taught primarily in a lecture format but with in-class discussion based on questions/short statements prepared before each lecture by students using the lecture notes and readings, allowing ample time for discussion on key themes in Russian foreign policy.

Assessment methods

The assignment for this module will be a short essay or policy brief, the title(s) of which will be notified to students well in advance of submission date. The lecturer will also discuss the requirements for a good essay/policy brief with students prior to the assignment. The length will be 2500 words +/- 10%, including footnotes but excluding bibliography.

Attendance is mandatory. Students who do not attend at least 70% of classes will not be able to obtain the CFUs for this module.

As per usual, grades will be expressed on a scale from 0 to 30 (‘trentesimi’):

• 0-18 = fail
• 18 = pass threshold
• 18 – 20 = sufficient
• 21 – 23 = fair
• 24 – 26 = good
• 27 – 29 = very good
• 30 / 30 cum laude = excellent

Teaching tools

Power point, videos, documents, in-class interaction, Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Derek Lambton Averre