ИСТИНА

This paper overviews the dynamics of Russian Foreign Policy over 1990-2010s, points out major policy change points and exposes problems (internal and external) affecting the current policy. It shows the changing foreign policy-related public rhetoric in Russian society. The focal issue of this paper is the “Humanitarian Intervention” concept and the ways it is viewed in Russian policy-making community. As the general approach towards this concept remained highly critical in Russian society, it is important to understand how and why this approach was formed: the major issue of officially voiced criticism towards this concept was (and still is) focused on the issue of maintaining rigid sovereignty and following the principle of non-intervention into affairs of a foreign state. However, the post-2010 events in Syria, Libya, Ukraine and other conflict areas show the discrepancy between these principles and Russian foreign policy activities on ground. This paper seeks to find answers to the question of why this is happening and how it is expressed in internal Russian foreign policy discussion. This paper shows both the internal and the external debate on Russian approaches and practices of foreign policy when humanitarian intervention is concerned. It draws on academic articles, official documents and statements and interviews of Russian policymakers in Russian and English that discuss andor criticize the approaches of Russian policymakers towards humanitarian intervention, as performed by the International Community with Russian participation andor Russia alone. This paper highlights the existing “twist of terms” in current Russian foreign policy regarding all issues related to foreign policy both as term and as a policy tool. It seeks to explain the misunderstandings in ongoing national and international political discourse on the Russian foreign policy, especially in areas where there is a collision of foreign policy interests of Russia, China and the US.