Democratization and Russian foreign policy

The authors review the emergence, formulation, pronouncement and conduct of Russian foreign policy since the demise of the Soviet system in the light of the country's moves towards a democratic political system. They consider the applicability in the Russian case of the view recently advanced that regime change in a democratizing direction is likely to increase a country's proneness to war. Examining the effect on Russia's foreign policy of free political debate and competition, and of the tendency towards fragmentation within the executive, they conclude that the impact of democratization is both mixed and limited.