The Siloviki, Russian Foreign Policy, and Putin’s War

• In Event: Putin’s War and Russia’s War: Masses, Elites, and Leaders in Russian Foreign Policy

Abstract

This paper examines the influence of the siloviki on Russian foreign policy. Siloviki rivalries generally are attributed to resource battles rather than policy ones; this paper asks whether there are also key policy differences between different siloviki clans and organizations. The paper will approach this question in two ways: first, by comparing foreign policy statements of leading siloviki officials; second, by process tracing the foreign policymaking process regarding Russian relations with Ukraine, including the decisions for war in 2014 and 2022.

Author

• Brian D. Taylor, Syracuse U