Russian Foreign Policy After Soviet Collapse (Continuity and Change)

Abstract

The Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991. The new Russia emerged as a sovereign state on the map of the World and as successor of the Soviet Union. There were some expectations in Russia and the West that the collapse of the erstwhile the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war would led to more peaceful world but it became a day dream. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Garbachev principles were fully reflected in new Russian foreign policy. Perestroika and Glasnost policy was famous that day. Perestroika which means restructuring and Glasnost means openness was applied in all sectors of Soviet system. President Boris Yeltsin initially followed Gorbachev’s foreign policy in International affairs and tried to develop close relations with the developed world, especially the United States of America, After experiment at NATO eastward expansion the Russian foreign policy begin to take a new shape after initial pro-west euphoria and it become more pragmatic and independent.