Russia’s 2023 Foreign Policy Concept: A Review of the International Scholarly Literature

Abstract

This article provides a structured review of the international scholarly literature on the Russian Federation’s new foreign policy concept adopted in 2023. Drawing on a systematic analysis of key academic works, the article classifies the literature into four major analytical approaches: (i) studies emphasizing continuity and long-term inheritance from post–Cold War multipolar thinking and the Primakov strategic legacy; (ii) approaches that interpret the new foreign policy as a strategic turning point and a rupture with the Euro-Atlantic order; (iii) analyses framing Russia as a central actor within the Global South and the emerging multipolar order; and (iv) studies adopting regional and functional perspectives, examining how the new foreign policy doctrine is implemented in practice. The review demonstrates that, while these approaches offer divergent interpretations, they converge in identifying a structural shift in Russia’s foreign policy toward sustained confrontation with the West and strategic repositioning within a fragmented international order. The article argues that Russia’s new foreign policy simultaneously reflects long-term continuity and elements of structural rupture. On this basis, it identifies key research gaps and proposes comparative and interdisciplinary directions for future research in contemporary international relations.