Putin's Imperial Aspirations: How Russian Nationalism Drives Foreign Policy and Military Strategy

Abstract

Vladimir Putin became prime minister in 1999 and has been in federal office as either prime minister or president ever since. His control over Russian politics has cemented his position and furthered his influence over the culture. In this respect, Putin’s nationalist views affect how he enacts foreign and domestic policy. This research examines the relationship between nationalism and Russian foreign policy and military strategy. An inductive analysis of Putin's primary sources characterized the nationalist and foreign policy themes into a set of nationalist institutional orders. These patterns showed four antagonistic approaches to foreign policy with other countries and international institutions: duplicitous cooperation, subversion, aggressive rhetoric, and overt aggression. These approaches advance Putin’s historical views of Russian Imperial and Soviet boundaries, emphasizing the reunification of people of Russian ethnicity. Putin also views Russia as the successor to Imperial and Soviet status as one part of the bipolar world order established during the Cold War.