Russia's policy in the Ukraine crisis. The role of internal factors

Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Russia, grade: 17/20 ("sehr gut"), University of Lisbon (Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas), language: English, abstract: In this research paper the central issue to be treated will not be the external factors but if and how far internal factors within the Russian Federation can explain Russian bearing in the Ukraine crisis. The focus will lie upon four fields to be examined. Firstly the situation of the country will be described in terms of its current economic state but also its present self-image and self-confidence within the international system. Secondly the category of individual actors having an impact on the implementation of Russian foreign policy shall be investigated which will manly focus on Vladimir Putin and his conception of power as well as his personal experiences which could have marked his attitude in international affairs. Thirdly, closely linked to Vladimir Putin, the Russian governmental system and its role in Russian foreign policy will be characterised. Lastly the role of the civil society, especially of the media and economic actors shall be examined. In the conclusion the final results will then be summed up and connected in order to answer the initial question.