Russia Resurrected

Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order

Kathryn E. Stoner

Argues that Russia is more than a regional power and that its international reach and influence, while in no way as extensive as that of the Soviet Union, are far more significant than often realized
Includes extensive primary data evaluating Russia's politics in order to show its political, economic, and social development
Shows that we too often underestimate Russia's varied abilities and intentions to influence global politics because we do not understand its purpose in doing so

Russia Resurrected

Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order

Kathryn E. Stoner

Description

An assessment of Russia that suggests that we should look beyond traditional means of power to understand its strength and capacity to disrupt international politics.

Too often, we are told that Russia plays a weak hand well. But, perhaps the nation's cards are better than we know. Russia ranks significantly behind the US and China by traditional measures of power: GDP, population size and health, and military might. Yet 25 years removed from its mid-1990s nadir following the collapse of the USSR, Russia has become a supremely disruptive force in world politics. Kathryn E. Stoner assesses the resurrection of Russia and argues that we should look beyond traditional means of power to assess its strength in global affairs. Taking into account how Russian domestic politics under Vladimir Putin influence its foreign policy, Stoner explains how Russia has battled its way back to international prominence.

From Russia's seizure of the Crimea from Ukraine to its military support for the Assad regime in Syria, the country has reasserted itself as a major global power. Stoner examines these developments and more in tackling the big questions about Russia's turnaround and global future. Stoner marshals data on Russia's political, economic, and social development and uncovers key insights from its domestic politics. Russian people are wealthier than the Chinese, debt is low, and fiscal policy is good despite sanctions and the volatile global economy. Vladimir Putin's autocratic regime faces virtually no organized domestic opposition. Yet, mindful of maintaining control at home, Russia under Putin also uses its varied power capacities to extend its influence abroad. While we often underestimate Russia's global influence, the consequences are evident in the disruption of politics in the US, Syria, and Venezuela, to name a few. Russia Resurrected is an eye-opening reassessment of the country, identifying the actual sources of its power in international politics and why it has been able to redefine the post-Cold War global order.

Russia Resurrected

Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order

Kathryn E. Stoner

Part I: Russia Resurrected?
Chapter 1: Is Russia Resurrected? Assessing State Power and Its Domestic Determinants

Part II: Russian Power Abroad: A Multidimensional Approach
Chapter 2: Where Does Russia Matter? Russian Influence in its "Near Abroad"
Chapter 3: Where Else Does Russia Matter? Beyond the Neighborhood

Part III: The Means of Projecting Russian Power Abroad
Chapter 4: The Unsteady Economic Basis of Russian Power
Chapter 5: Russian Power is Hard and Soft: The Revitalized Russian Military, Media and Cyber Capabilities
Chapter 6: Russian Society: Empowered or Enfeebled?

Part III: The Domestic Determinants of the use of Russian Power Abroad
Chapter 7: Is Autocracy an Advantage? How, When and Why Russia Projects its Power Abroad
Chapter 8: The Implications for Global Politics of the Domestic Determinants of Russian Power

Russia Resurrected

Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order

Kathryn E. Stoner

Author Information

Kathryn E. Stoner is the Deputy Director at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a Senior Fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, and at the Center for International Security and Cooperation, all at Stanford University. She is the author or co-editor of five books, including Transitions to Democracy: A Comparative Perspective, written and edited with Ambassador Michael A. McFaul, and Resisting the State: Reform and Retrenchment in Post-Soviet Russia.

Russia Resurrected

Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order

Kathryn E. Stoner

Reviews and Awards

"There is a nuance, depth, and complexity in Dr. Stoner's book that is to be relished. It challenges assumptions, questions commonly held perspectives, and undermines the popular misconceptions of Russia. It is something that is precisely needed in this environment, especially if Washington is to craft a smart policy towards Moscow, and as a new administration begins to craft its policy towards Russia." -- Joshua Huminski, Diplomatic Courier

"According to conventional wisdom, Russia is a weak and declining power. Kathryn Stoner's fantastic new book, Russia Resurrected, challenges that outdated notion along many dimensions. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not playing a weak hand smartly when confronting the West, but deploying new and advanced military, cyber, diplomatic, and propaganda capabilities to pursue his dangerous, destabilizing, global agenda. Marshalling fresh empirical data and rethinking new methods for assessing power, Russia Resurrected should be a wakeup call for Western leaders, appear on every syllabus for courses on Russia, and be essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Russia in the world today." -- Michael McFaul, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University

"Stoner provides a nuanced and accessible portrait of what it means for Russia to be a 'great power' in the twenty-first century. This comprehensive analysis of Russia's power tools demonstrates that Putin prioritizes gaining influence over foreign societies, not just over other states. Challenging the notion that Russian aggression serves state interests or was historically inevitable, Stoner shows that Putin's autocratic regime gains domestic legitimacy from international influence. She convincingly concludes that Russia could have chosen another path that would have served its genuine state interests better, continuing the liberal international integration of the immediate post-Soviet era." -- Kimberly Marten, Professor of Political Science, Barnard College, Columbia University

"Russia Resurrected is an authoritative and compelling examination of Russia's global influence. Stoner demonstrates the multifaceted nature of Russian power and explains how its use is closely connected to the character of its domestic political system. Essential reading for understanding Russian foreign policy under Vladimir Putin." -- Brian D. Taylor, Professor of Political Science, Maxwell School, Syracuse University

"With Russian influence now globalized in ways not seen since the Cold War, Stoner's Russia Resurrected supplies novel insights in her trademark clear and compelling prose. By broadening how we think about 'power,' her uniquely comprehensive analysis shows Russia has plenty of it and demonstrates how Vladimir Putin has put his country in position to help reshape the international order in surprising ways. The drivers, she finds, lie in domestic politics and private interests as much as in geopolitical imperatives and rivalries." -- Henry Hale, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University