ABSTRACT
Many Russian political actors and intellectuals believe that there is a particularly evident discrepancy between the state and the nation in post-Soviet Russia. The different political actors in Russia conceptualize the state, nation, and security in various ways, and use those concepts differently, in various forms of discourse. The new state-builders view Russia as a modern nation-state whose primary security policy goals are the preservation of its integrity and stability. Russian-Ukrainian relations are an ideal field for a constructionist exercise by Russian political actors. A significant part of the Russian political elite appears to agree that Russia might not survive serious instability. When addressing concrete policy issues, concerns over or disregard for stability were among the most significant factors around which political coalitions coalesced in Russia in the 1990s. Profound differences on the questions of national identity and security notwithstanding, stability-seekers found a common ground when vital security questions were at stake.
