Abstract
The chapter identifies three factors/conditions that provoked the Russian-European crisis. The first condition was V. Putin’s attempt to redefine Russia’s greatness in terms of “Western normalcy”, i.e. consumption and competitive economy. The second condition was the unique cognitive change in the mind of the Russian political elite. Deep interest in Europe and an acquaintance with the Western academic discourse pushed Russian elites to adopt a more reflective attitude toward the very idea of “True Europe” and a more assertive foreign policy. The third factor was the Ukrainian revolution, which triggered the most conflictual geo-economic interpretations in the Kremlin. In the chapter I will show how practical and representational elements of identity can explain specific moves in Russian foreign policy, including differences between its policy in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.
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Notes
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Quoted by A. Dugin, “Konets Mechty o Mnogopoliusnom Mire”, Izvestia, 12 October 2002.
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V. Putin, Annual Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, 16 May 2003, Russian version available at: http://archive.kremlin.ru/text/appears/2003/05/44623.shtml; English translation http://www.ln.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/0/b9c87040d4a8fce2c3256ec9001d199a?OpenDocument; Interestingly enough the English translation of the speech at the Presidential website has no reference to Great Powerhood.
- 3.
Ibid .
- 4.
V. Putin, Annual Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, 16 May 2003, Russian version available at: http://archive.kremlin.ru/text/appears/2003/05/44623.shtml; English translation http://www.ln.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/0/b9c87040d4a8fce2c3256ec9.
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In Russian the term “borba” was used; it has connotations of wrestling, struggle, and battle.
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If one looks at direct quote it shows the extent of Putin’s scepticism towards Europe when he mentioned: “If you need a wrist-watch, underwear or tie, you go to the EU. When you need something from the primary sector of the economy it is Russia whom you should seek”. Never before has a Russian leader used such a condescending tone when speaking about Europe.
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This point was repeated in Russian Military Doctrine of 29 June 2015 and Russia Federation Maritime Doctrine of 27 July 2016; available at: http://rusemb.org.uk/press/2029 and http://static.kremlin.ru/media/events/files/ru/uAFi5nvux2twaqjftS5yrIZUVTJan77L.pdf; last accessed 5 August 2016;
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In more details in this tactics see P. Pomerantsev, Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia (New York: Public Affairs, 2014).
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This policy is not something new. Russia tried to expand the role of the OSCE secretariat in 2006 seeking to take over key role within the expanded secretariat.
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SBU vyslala rosiykogo ofitsera ра v STsKK cherez dialinisti, sho superechnist Minskim domoblennostiam, Press Release Security Service of Ukraine, 22 June 2016, available at: https://ssu.gov.ua/ua/news/1/category/2/view/1260; last accessed 1 August 2016.
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Interview in Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, July 2016.
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Interview with Foreign Minister of Ukraine: Pavlo Klimkin, Levy Bereg s Sonei Koshkinoi, 31 October 2016, available at: http://ukr.lb.ua/news/2016/10/31/349456_pavlo_klimkin_lyudi_25_roki.html; last accessed 7 November 2016.
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Interview with Ukrainian diplomat, 1 August 2016.
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According to Clunan’s study it normally takes three to four years of consistent foreign policy failures to make a country reconsider its identity.
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Samokhvalov, V. (2017). “Black Swan”: New Greatness, False Europe and the Ukraine Crisis (2002–2014). In: Russian-European Relations in the Balkans and Black Sea Region. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52078-0_7
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