Russia’s “Great Power” Policy in the Post-Soviet Space: Geopolitical Doctrine, Strategic Behavior, and the Context of Its Military Intervention in Ukraine

Abstract

This study examines the ideological foundations, strategic objectives, and practical manifestations of Russia’s “great power” policy within the post-Soviet geopolitical landscape, focusing particularly on its military intervention in Ukraine. The authors argue that Russia’s foreign-policy doctrine, shaped by imperial legacies and Eurasianist thinking, continues to prioritize regional dominance and strategic depth over international legal norms and cooperative security. By revisiting the historical continuum of Russian statecraft—from Tsarist expansionism and Soviet hegemonic control to post-1991 geopolitical reassertion—the paper contextualizes Moscow’s actions as a continuation of its quest for strategic parity with the West. The study further explores how Russia’s interventions in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine reveal a pattern of coercive diplomacy that combines political influence, military force, and hybrid operations. These interventions, justified under narratives of protecting Russian-speaking populations and preserving regional stability, undermine the sovereignty of neighboring states and challenge the international legal order. The findings demonstrate that Russia’s policy is not a reactive defense mechanism but an offensive geopolitical strategy aimed at restoring its sphere of influence and counter balancing Western expansion. The Ukrainian crisis, therefore, epitomizes the conflict between normative international law and power-centric realism in global politics.