Publication

This paper examines why Russia decided to turn away from its acceptance of the Western-dominated liberal international order, as demonstrated by its annexation of Crimea, as well as the challenges this raises for Moscow and the West. More specifically, the author 1) reviews Moscow's claim that the system of international relations that was created following the end of the Cold War is discriminatory against Russia; 2) outlines what form of international order Russia would prefer; and 3) discusses how Russia's rejection of the existing international order can be explained by analyzing developments in Russian political discourse, particularly the move towards political actors appealing to people's emotions.