The Price of Wishful Thinking. The Policy of the West towards Russia
The Price of Wishful Thinking. The Policy of the West towards Russia
Author(s): Przemysław Żurawski vel GrajewskiSubject(s): International relations/trade, Post-Communist Transformation, Russian Aggression against Ukraine
Published by: Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Russia; Germany; Active Measures; propaganda; disinformation;
Summary/Abstract: The article analyses the West's policy towards Russia after 1991. The author argues that the Western hopes for the democratisation and 'civilisation' of Russia were an illusion. As a result, policies based on wishful thinking failed completely - culminating in Russia's aggression against Ukraine in 2022. The West believed that after the collapse of the USSR, Russia would become democratic, stable, and predictable. There were hopes for a 'partnership for peace' and integration ('from Lisbon to Vladivostok'), but none of these ideas became a reality. Numerous institutional ties (Council of Europe, G8, NATO-Russia Council, Partnership for Peace) have failed to deliver results.
Journal: Studia z Dziejów Rosji i Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej
- Issue Year: 60/2025
- Issue No: Sp.
- Page Range: 259-283
- Page Count: 25
- Language: English, Russian
