Abstract
Since the break-up of the Soviet Union ten years ago, Russia has been in a state of confusion about its relations with the outside world, unsure of what direction to face in foreign affairs. Following fifty years of making global headlines with every single foreign policy move, Russia has struggled to come to terms with a new identity where initiatives raise only a slight discussion in the press, and influence abroad has plummeted in the post-Cold War era. Yet Russia remains a major actor on the international stage for three reasons: Possession of nuclear weapons, a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and a continually potent influence within their immediate neighbourhood on Eurasia (Legvold, 2001)
