The Effects of Russia’s Great Power Eminence and Sovereign State Perception on the Balkans

Abstract

At the end of the 20th century, all states over the world faced crucial changes and transformations in the perspective of the perception of sovereign state position and great power eminence. The position of sovereignty for a state means the struggle for its citizens’ rights, economic welfares and its fair governance. But, in spite of these changes and transformations, Russian leaders and policymakers have tried to maintain Russia’s position as a sovereign state and great power in the international system in the mind of the 19th century’s absolutist approach. Concurrently, these attitudes and behaviours of the leaders and policymakers have comprised a basis for Russia-the West conflict including China as a third party today. Russia puts forward absolutist regimes as its preference in the perception of its 21st century’s sovereign state and great power with its foreign policy applications and discourses. In this context, the aim of the article is to analyse Russia’s foreign and security policies in the Balkans by underlining its assertive great power and absolutist regime approaches.