The Making of Russian Foreign Policy

4 Credits.

This policy seminar examines the origins, evolution, and strategic logic of Russian foreign policy since the end of the Soviet Union. The course focuses on the domestic, historical, and ideological forces that shape Moscow’s external behavior, including Russian political institutions, elite worldviews, nationalism, and the use of history in foreign policy discourse. Through readings, debates, and a scenario exercise, students will evaluate competing theoretical interpretations of Russian foreign policy and develop their own perspectives on how Russia’s international strategy might evolve—and how other states should respond.