Russia’s Perpetual Geopolitics

The author in this article gives an overview of Russia’s history stating that it has always been considered the weak super power. He points out to the fact that with the breakup of the Soviet Union, Moscow lost 2 million square miles of sovereign territory equivalent to the entire share of the European Union. He then continues that Russia considers itself as an exceptionalism and that its foreign policy revolves around this idea of having a special mission and that it has to be treated in a special way. And this is why post-Soviet Russia precluded to join Europe and also forming an unequal partnership with the United States. I liked the part that the author mentioned that Russia is not putting its aspirations in alignment with its capabilities, and I think this is one of the most important traits that a successfully ‘developed’ nation- state should have because it leads to political stability and one that is really noticeable within its international relations. Even more important than the GDP of one country. Russia is still not accepting post war settlements or the idea of global rivalry that it lost on a multidimensional level and could still wait for the best time to annex small countries around instead of having diplomatic relations.  Russia need to get over the past and start redefining the notion of exceptionalism and start working with other countries even if they are small ones in Europe to fit its global role.