Conclusion

Abstract

This study seeks to shed light on the sources of Russian foreign policy towards the West during the first one-and-a half decades after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In particular, it tries to answer two major questions: How can we explain change in the Russian leadership’s approach towards the West? And how did the Russian leadership adapt the country’s foreign policy to the post-Cold War conditions? The following sections summarize the findings of the three case studies, and draw explanatory and theoretical implications from the findings.