Putin, Putinism, and the Domestic Determinants of Russian Foreign Policy

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Published: Fall 2020

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a video call with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Shoigu reported to Putin that the Defense Ministry plans to complete clinical tests of a coronavirus vaccine next month. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Summary

Why did Russia’s relations with the West shift from cooperation a few decades ago to a new era of confrontation today? For a complete understanding of Russian foreign policy today, individuals (President Vladimir Putin), ideas (Putinism), and institutions (autocracy) must be added to the analysis. Tracing the causal influence of these domestic determinants in three cases of Russian intervention—Ukraine in 2014, Syria in 2015 and the United States in 2016—reveals Putin’s significant influence in the making of Russian foreign policy.

Recommended citation

Michael McFaul, "Putin, Putinism, and the Domestic Determinants of Russian Foreign Policy," International Security, Vol. 45, No. 2 (Fall 2020), pp. 95-139, doi.org/10.1162/isec_a_00390.

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Diplomacy Governance International Security Program Middle East & North Africa Military intervention North America Russia Sanctions

Recommended citation

Michael McFaul, "Putin, Putinism, and the Domestic Determinants of Russian Foreign Policy," International Security, Vol. 45, No. 2 (Fall 2020), pp. 95-139, doi.org/10.1162/isec_a_00390.

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