Russian Foreign Policy: In Search of Lost Influence, Natufe O. Igho

Written by Russian politics and international relations specialist Igho Natufe, Russian Foreign Policy: In Search of Lost Influence is a critical analysis of Russian foreign policy since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It examines the challenges facing Russia as it grapples with the tasks of re-establishing itself as a global power in a new international environment where most of its former allies in both the defunct Soviet Union and the Warsaw Treaty Organization have either joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union (EU), or seeking closer economic ties with the United States, the EU, and China. The book evaluates the pitfalls of Soviet policies under Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the struggle of Russia to formulate a new foreign policy in dealing with its “near abroad” and the global community. The Ukraine Crisis provided a testing ground for Russian foreign policy as it challenged the US and its western allies for a sphere of influence in Ukraine. Natufe provides a balanced analysis on Russian, Chinese, US, and EU policies in Ukraine, and in the “post- Soviet space” in a manner yet to be demonstrated by other scholars. Academics, students and those interested in foreign policy and international politics will find Russian Foreign Policy: In Search of Lost Influence a well-researched, thorough study of Russian contemporary foreign policy.