The East in Russian Foreign Policy Thought: Rethinking the International Order

The conflict in Ukraine has revealed stark divergences in how Western and nonWestern states interpret global crises. With few exceptions, countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America have refrained from supporting Western sanctions against Russia, choosing instead positions of neutrality or cautious engagement. These responses reflect not only pragmatic interests but also the persistence of alternative civilizational perspectives that challenge the presumed universality of Western categories in international relations. This article argues that the new geopolitical reality compels Russia to balance confrontation with a hostile European environment against the consolidation of cooperative ties with Asian and African partners. From Moscow’s perspective, the international system now appears bifurcated into two blocs: a Western one marked by institutional discipline and pragmatic cohesion, and an Eastern one shaped by national traditions, distinct models of economic growth, and resilient cultural frameworks. The analysis highlights three interrelated themes. First, it emphasizes the growing importance of conceptualizing a non-Western perspective within Russian scholarship, one that critically reassesses the translation of Western terms and recognizes the cultural specificities of Eastern societies. Second, it points to the need for an institutional platform under United Nations auspices to articulate an independent Eastern civilizational narrative and strengthen non-Western cooperation. Third, it identifies cognitive and decision-making styles in Eastern societies as a distinctive factor shaping political practice and international interaction. The article concludes that developing a coherent inter-civilizational code, grounded in Eurasian, Asian, and African experiences, is essential for constructing alternative theoretical frameworks of international relations and for redefining the global order beyond Western paradigms.

1. АСЕАН в начале XXI века: Актуальные проблемы и перспективы. 2010. Отв. ред.: Е.В. Кобелев, Г.М. Локшин, Н.П. Малетин. Москва: Форум.

2. Богатуров А.Д. 2022. Прикладной анализ международной политики. Ситуации и конфликты. 1992–2021 гг. Москва: Аспект пресс.

3. Боровский Ю.В. 2024. Взгляд наступательного реализма и либерализма на внешнюю политику США. Полис. №1. С. 21–35. DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2024.01.03

4. Будущее мировой политики: технологии, конфликты, институты. 2020. Ред. состав. Сушенцов А.А., Фомин И.А., Уолфорт У.К. Москва: Весь мир.

5. Дегтерев Д.А. 2017. Теоретико-игровой анализ международных отношений. Москва: Аспект пресс.

6. Наумкин В.В. 2020. Модель не-Запада: существует ли государство-цивилизация? Полис. №4. С. 78–93. DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2020.04.06

7. Наумкин В.В. 2021. Современный конвергентный арабский национализм в зеркале исторической памяти. Полис. №6. С. 42–59. DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2021.06.04 Попов В. 2007. Альянс цивилизаций. Международная жизнь. №8.

8. Чешков М.А. 2005. Глобализация как научное знание. Москва: НОФМО. С. 65–66.

9. Чумаков А.Н. 2010. Глобализация. Контуры целостного мира. Москва: Проспект.

10. ASEAN v nachale XXI veka: Aktual'nye problemy i perspektivy [ASEAN at the Beginning of the 21st Century: Current Issues and Prospects]. 2010. Otv. red.: E.V. Kobelev, G.M. Lokshin, N.P. Maletin. Moscow: Forum. (In Russian).

11. Bogaturov A.D. 2022. Prikladnoj analiz mezhdunarodnoj politiki. Situacii i konflikty. 1992– 2021 gg. [Applied Analysis of International Politics. Situations and Conflicts. 1992–2021]. Moscow: Aspekt press. (In Russian).

12. Borovskij Yu.V. 2024. Vzglyad nastupatel'nogo realizma i liberalizma na vneshnyuyu politiku SShA [The View of Offensive Realism and Liberalism on U.S. Foreign Policy]. Polis. Political

13. Studies. №1. P. 21–35. (In Russian). DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2024.01.03

14. Budushchee mirovoj politiki: tekhnologii, konflikty, instituty [The Future of Global Politics: Technology, Conflicts, and Institutions]. 2020. Red. sostav. Sushencov A.A., Fomin I.A., Uolfort U.K. Moscow: Ves' mir. (In Russian).

15. Degterev D.A. 2017. Teoretiko-igrovoj analiz mezhdunarodnyh otnoshenij [Game-Theoretic Analysis of International Relations.]. Moscow: Aspekt press. (In Russian).

16. Naumkin V.V. 2020. Model' ne-Zapada: sushchestvuet li gosudarstvo-civilizaciya? [NonWest Model: Does the Civilization-State Exist?] Polis. Political Studies. №4. P. 78–93. (In Russian). DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2020.04.06

17. Naumkin V.V. 2021. Sovremennyj konvergentnyj arabskij nacionalizm v zerkale istoricheskoj pamyati [Modern Convergent Arab Nationalism in the Mirror of Historic Memory]. Polis. Political Studies. №6. P. 42–59. (In Russian) DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2021.06.04

18. Popov V. 2007. Al'yans civilizacij [Alliance of Civilizations]. Mezhdunarodnaya zhizn'. №8.

19. Cheshkov M.A. 2005. Globalizaciya kak nauchnoe znanie [Globalization as Scientific Knowledge]. Moscow: NOFMO. P. 65–66.

20. Chumakov A.N. 2010. Globalizaciya. Kontury celostnogo mira [Globalization. The Contours of a Holistic World]. Moscow: Prospekt.