Seizing the multipolar moment? Russia in the new world disorder

Abstract

The global effects of 9/11 and the consequent rapid decline of the US bilateral relations with Russia during the first decade of the new millennium generated, mostly in the West, an intense debate about a "new Cold War". As a result, the chapter begins with a summarized analysis of the context, which is currently marked by the revamping of a post-WWII terminology, with the aim to explore similarities and peculiarities of such reconstruction of confrontational East-West relations. Subsequently, the focus turns to the main changes that occurred in particular in the last two decades, starting from the events that encouraged Evgenij Primakov to elaborate his theory of a multipolar governance. In this vein, the last part of the chapter scrutinizes how Putin's Russia is actively seeking to influence global governance by developing a wide networking strategy around the world (which goes beyond the improvement of relations with China). The main goal, in fact, seems oriented to take advantage of the decline of the West's moral authority. In this perspective, Russian foreign policy is concentrated to contest the US and EU approach to a single normative system that should be globally valid, by replacing it with a worldwide pluralism of different norms and civilizations, where the "Russian conservatism" - repeatedly advertised by Putin - is expected to play a crucial and driving role.