Analysis of Putin’s Foreign Policy Practices Within The Context of Political Psychology

Abstract

The Russian Federation, which continued as its successor state after the collapse of the USSR and was one of the hegemonic powers during the Cold War period could not maintain this position both militarily and economically in the first years, but with the improvement of its economy in time, it regained its norm maker status. Russia, reborn from its ashes with this norm-making status, aims to be the dominant power in the new era, as seen in the revisionist foreign policy practices it displayed in the II. Chechen War, the Georgian War, the annexation of Crimea and the Donbass Events under the leadership of its new "charismatic leader" Putin. In addition, the Russian Federation has the motivation to establish a cultural hegemony through its efforts to construct a unique identity with the help of diaspora Russians and individuals belonging to the Russian world. Putin, who brought the Russian Federation back to the norm-maker status in the new world order, carries out revisionist policies in the region, especially based on the near abroad doctrine and these policies significantly change the structure of international relations. In this study, it is aimed to evaluate these changes in the context of political psychology through important events in Putin's life. In the study, discourse analysis was used as a method, and thus the relationship between the social and psychological context produced by Putin and the conditions affecting the discourse was examined.