The Nexus of Neoclassical Realism and Soft Power the Case of the West – Russia Geopolitical Rivalries in the “Common Neighbourhood”

Abstract

This thesis analyses soft power in the light of neoclassical realist premises as part of the foreign policy toolkit of great powers to expand their sphere of influence. It argues that if nuclear armed great powers compete against the same type of powers to expand or sustain their sphere of influence over a populated region, they use soft power as a major expansive instrument while military power remains a tool to defend themselves and back up their foreign policies. Presenting its model of soft power, the thesis explores the role of soft power projection by great powers in the formation of the external alignment of regional states. It focuses on the Russia – West (i.e. the EU and the USA) rivalries over the states located between the EU and Russia (the region known as the “common (or shared) neighbourhood”) and on two of the regional states (Ukraine and Belarus) to test its hypotheses. It uses a long range of academic works, news media articles, official documents, public statements, reports of non-governmental organizations, etc. to pursue its analyses. The thesis concludes that, due to several factors, primarily the possibly catastrophic consequences of military clashes, soft power is deployed as an expansive instrument amidst the territorial rivalries between nuclear-armed great powers while military power remains a tool for defence and backing up foreign policies. The thesis, however, highlights that the success of soft power projection by great powers depends also on the internal structure of the regional states.