ABSTRACT
Russia’s experience with West-initiated globalization has been peculiar. Immediately following the end of the Cold War, Boris Yeltsin’s choice was decisively pro-Western, and he sought to integrate Russia with Western institutions. Since the late-1990s, however, Russia has adopted different priorities and pursued a more selective approach to globalization. In economic and political affairs, the Kremlin insisted on preserving state sovereignty and the right to defend itself against harmful influences from the outside world, as well as to promote its own vision of globalization. From an admirer of the West, Russia has emerged as a critic that is actively seeking to expand its presence in global markets and join global institutions, while at the same time working to transform these institutions to its advantage.
