The Price of Wishful Thinking. The Policy of the West towards Russia
Abstract
The article analyses the West’s policy towards Russia after 1991. The author argues that the Western hopes for the democratisation and ‘civilisation’ of Russia were an illusion. As a result, policies based on wishful thinking failed completely – culminating in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2022. The West believed that after the collapse of the USSR, Russia would become democratic, stable, and predictable. There were hopes for a ‘partnership for peace’ and integration (‘from Lisbon to Vladivostok’), but none of these ideas became a reality. Numerous institutional ties (Council of Europe, G8, NATO-Russia Council, Partnership for Peace) have failed to deliver results.
Fields of Study & Subjects
European Politics and Security
European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies
International Relations and Foreign Policy
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Studia z Dziejów Rosji i Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 259–283
- Publication date
- 17 January 2026
- Language
- EN