The annexation of Crimea : foreign policy and identify politics of Russia

• Autor(a) principal: Vinovska, Dace
• Data de Publicação: 2015
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/20352
• topic: Domínio/Área Científica::Ciências Sociais::Ciências Políticas

The main focus of this research work is on examining and revealing the relation and interaction of Russia’s foreign policy and its identity politics. Most of time, Russia’s foreign policy messages in connection with the annexation of Crimean Peninsula have been revealing its oppositional stands towards the West. Since Russia’s leadership promulgated foreign policy elements have been embedded in its peculiar political culture, historical path as well as certain political context, the analysis of the annexation case of Crimea reveals how Russia’s historical experience and geopolitical inclination towards invasion and expansionism have nowadays also become indispensable elements of Russia’s foreign policy, within its desire to dominate at a regional level, as well as its Great Power's aspirations in the international scene. The case study of Russia’s led intervention in Ukraine, within its justification arguments, helps not only to better understand the scope of Russia's foreign policy towards Ukraine conflict but also reveals the existing controversies between the postulated political goals of Russia’s leadership and its implemented politics. Since Russia’s foreign policy has become a manifesting voice of its identity politics, this research work examines also the formative aspects of Russian identity politics, such as the desire and struggle for recognition, “Social contract” and propaganda instruments. The afore-mentioned formative elements have helped Russia’s leadership to consolidate its power and succeed with its foreign policy’s objectives in the case of Ukraine conflict. Thus, the examination of the afore-mentioned instrumental capacities gives a deeper insight in Russian political identity, which within its various dimensions, becomes the driving force of its foreign policy as well the source of Russia’s cultivated perception that it has a special mission in world affairs. The analysis of this research devoted to Russia's foreign policy messages in connection with the afore-mentioned formative aspects of its identity politics is aimed at: (1) answering the question of whether the Ukraine conflict is a part of Russia’s “political identity building” strategy, as well as (2) deepening prospects in the Kremlin’s enforced identity building strategy, within which international society can view and rethink the potential and perspectives of the relations with Russia.