Russia in the Wake of the Cold War

This study examines the enduring Cold War legacies underpinning Western perceptions of contemporary Russia under President Vladimir Putin. It analyzes the ways in which the West has interpreted and reacted to Russia’s domestic authoritarianism and foreign policy behavior and argues for diplomatic engagement based on liberal pluralism.

Dorothy Horsfield is a visiting fellow in the College of Arts and Social Sciences at Australian National University.

Chapter 1: Cold War Liberal Pluralism and Its Legacy Chapter 2: Russia's Liberal Intellectuals and Lost Causes Chapter 3: Russian Conservatism and Its Adjectives Chapter 4: Finding Authoritarianism in President Vladimir Putin's Russian Federation Chapter 5: Lies, Damn Lies, and Diplomacy: John le Carré, Edward Snowden, and the post-Cold War World of Espionage