Russia in the new international order: Theories, arguments and debates Introduction

Throughout the Cold War, studies of Soviet foreign policy were generally 'atheoretical'. In so far as they were based on theoretical models from international relations, those models tended to be some version of `realism' or 'neorealism'. Over the past two decades, since the end of the Cold War, other approaches - especially those based on 'constructivism' - have challenged the domination of the 'realist' framework in studies of Russian foreign policy. The articles in this special issue of International Politics examine the strengths and weaknesses of the various theoretical frameworks employed to explain Russian policy. International Politics (2012) 49, 393-399. doi:10.1057/ip.2012.6; published online 30 March 2012