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This book provides a detailed analysis of the evolution of Russia's security policy. Based on extensive original research, including an analysis of official documents, political and military elite speeches, interviews, and reports, and considering the subject from the early 20th century onward, the book evaluates how far Russia's security policy is underpinned by "strategic asymmetry"-the acceptance by Russia of its inferior military position, and the pursuit of its strategic aims through the application of a variety of methods, military and non-military, including the manipulation of public opinion, the use of economic leverage, and external security approaches-known as Russia's "hybrid war operations"-to gain the advantage over a militarily and economically superior adversary. The book discusses how Russia's security policy has been and is being applied in specific cases, including the present war in Ukraine, the Russian anti-satellite program, and Russia's contemporary Afghan policy. The aim of the book is to explain how and why Russia uses different security strategies and methods using these three cases.
List of contents
Acknowledgments viii
Introduction 1
1 The evolution of Russian security thought 7
2 Determinants of Russia's security policy 41
3 The Soviet legacy of Russia's security policy 81
4 Evolution of the Russian Federation's security concept 116
5 Functions of Russia's foreign security policy: New approaches 147
6 The implementation of Russia's foreign policy and the role of its security policy 192
7 Russia's security and foreign policy approaches: Ukraine, star wars, and Afghanistan 229
Why does Russia prefer strategic asymmetry? 280
Index 288
About the author
Nurlan Aliyev is a lecturer in the University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw, Poland.
Summary
The book discusses how Russia’s security policy has been and is being applied in specific cases, including the present war in Ukraine, the Russian anti-satellite program and Russia’s contemporary Afghan policy.
Report
"Nurlan Aliyev's Reassessing Russia's Security Policy provides a comprehensive analysis of Russian security policy, focusing on the development and use of asymmetric strategies and methods. The entire book is built around the central argument that Russia's security policy strategies are not new, but rather represent the response of a weaker power to stronger competitors. This asymmetry is not just a question of methods alone, but an overall strategic asymmetry that permeates almost all aspects of Russian security policy. [...] Overall, Aliyev's Reassessing Russia's Security Policy is an extremely successful academic work demonstrating the author's deep knowledge and erudition, which is doubly relevant today. The lessons herein will be of interest to the broader community of those interested in international relations as well as to the Russia specialist. What it suggests to me is that the relevance of this publication will only increase in the future."
-- Zdenek Kríz, Masaryk University, Czech Republic, Defense & Security Analysis, Dec 2024.
