Post-Imperium:Russia's Return And The New Bargain For The Architecture Of The European Regional Order

This dissertation deals with the grand strategic adjustment of the Russian Federation in the post-Cold War politico-security order of Europe,to evaluate Russian moves.It addresses the political moves,activities,strategic choices,and the ways of implementation of the Russian Federation,which shapes the politico-security landscape of Europe and makes it an arena of security and economic competition between Russia and the West.The rules that have been put to regulate the politico-security order of Europe are no more relevant and applicable in relation to Russia.Currently,the bargain for the architecture of the regional security order is halted by the Ukraine crisis;meanwhile,the Russia-West relations are at their lowest level since the end of the Cold War.By using the mixed theoretical framework,the dissertation examines current Russian political moves,activities,choices,and decisions in the region,particularly its interests,strategic culture,foreign policy formation,and the tools and measures for realization.The Russian grand strategic adjustment,being divided into the three periods,may seem different from each other in specific periods and raise questions related to the Russian intentions and interests.However,the Russian strategy has changed,not the interests.The different strategic choices in specific periods meant to achieve the Russian goals and fulfill the interests,just the preferential ways of realization have been changed.From the 1990s both,Russia and the West were favoring the integration to the political West.However,that was not meaning that Russia made just one strategic choice.At the same time,Russia did not abandon the strategic option of strengthening the status quo of the post-Soviet space.As it became apparent,from the late 2000s,only the second strategic option remained intact.Russia never abandoned the realist logic,and great power aspirations,just the ways of the realization have been changed.Then it will show the normative basis of the institutionalization of the post-Cold War order.It will show that from the vast array of iconic treaties and agreements even left from the Cold War times to regulate the current politico-security order of Europe being gradually abandoned,leaving just one treaty on the limits of the offensive forces(New START)intact.Hence,the decreased clarity of information and the uncertainty resulted in the stagnation of the relation of major actors,Russia,and the West and led to the heightened security competition between them.Lastly,it will show the current situation at the epicenter of the competition,in the post-Soviet space,examining the in-between situation of the in-between states in politico-security and economic dimensions as well as the 'protracted conflicts'of the region.In particular,all these realities contribute to both cooperation and competition in the area.It will be shown that the Russian Federation has started its 'BIG' strategic shift to adjust itself in the system.The Russian political realities are in a permanent correlation with the post-Soviet space.Except for shaping the region,the Russian grand strategic adjustment automatically also shapes the broader contours of the politico-security landscape of Europe.That inevitably results in the bipolarity in the European continent,making the post-Soviet space the epicenter of the struggle for dominance between Russia and the West.