Znaczenie sił zbrojnych w polityce zagranicznej Federacji Rosyjskiej w latach 2008-2022

Abstract

The main aim of my doctoral dissertation entitled The role of the armed forces in the foreign policy of the Russian Federation between 2008 and 2022 was to show the significance of the use of the Russian armed forces in it’s foreign policy between 2008 and 2022. The timeframe of this study – 2008–2022 – is defined by two landmark events. In 2008, for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia went to war with another country. The year 2022, meanwhile, marks an equally clear turning point with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Following an analysis of source materials and relevant literature, the following research hypothesis was formulated: The military factor is a key element in the pursuit of Russian foreign policy objectives such as: maintaining the country’s territorial integrity, preserving Russia’s dominant position almost across the entire former Soviet Union, and restoring Russia to its role as one of the world’s most important players.The analyses and research carried out clearly show that, for Russia, the military factor is crucial to the conduct of its foreign policy.The main conclusion of this dissertation is as follows: the armed forces and their capabilities will remain an intrinsic and crucial element of Russia’s foreign policy. Moreover, the research carried out suggests that Russia will continue to use hard power as its primary tool in attempting to shape the international order, unless it encounters firm resistance from stronger states and organisations such as the US and NATO.