Medvedev's Russia, a ‘revisionist power’ or an ‘architect of a new world order’? The evolution of ideational factors and its cases

Abstract This article explores the impact of ideational factors on Russian foreign policy outputs. “Collective ideas,” defined by Thorun as “shared expectations of behavior by the Russian leadership about the nature of international relations and ideas about the state,” characterizes the Russian leadership's perception of external challenges and its definition of national interests that crucially affect the leadership's choice of the most effective means for maximizing the national interests. To assess the influence of such ideational factors on the outputs of Russian foreign policy, analyzed in this research are major foreign policy speeches, statements, and interviews of the Russian leadership. This research analyzes the discourse to explore the perception of the Russian leadership and the Medvedev government on the nature of international relations, the identity of Russia, Russia's status and role in the international community, strategic national priorities, and strategic options for achieving its int...