ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the parameters of the contemporary Russian debate on national interest and foreign policy. It argues that this debate is being shaped by legitimate security concerns and by political infighting. The chapter examines the essence of the "Atlanticist" position as exemplified by the views of Andrei Kozyrev. It analyzes the multiple lines of criticism contained within the "Eurasianist" position. The chapter explores some of the policy implications of the debate and will include an analysis of the "Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation" that was drafted by the Foreign Ministry, and the opposition's objections to it. It focuses on the future of Russian foreign policy, given the strength of the several perspectives in the policy debate. The balance between more conventionally defined foreign policy interests and Russia's stake in relations with the other successor states has become the subject of increasingly intense debate in Moscow.
