What does Russia want?

The nature of the 'Russia challenge' - and how to address it.

This article makes the case that the West and Russia are indeed locked in a disagreement of a fundamental paradigmatic nature. But that standoff is not centred around a competition between domestic political or economic models, although these do play a role. Nor is it primarily focused on control over territory, although territory too plays its part. Russia’s true challenge, the issue on which it really is revisionist, has to do with the questions of the post-Cold War international order: the rules and taboos of international relations.

Moscow wants the West to give up on its vision of liberal international order and to return to conducting international affairs based on realpolitik.

• Primary Source