Description
The United Nations has long been the scene for great power rivalry. This certainly holds truth when looking at recent Russian diplomacy at the UN. On the 2nd of November 2021 Russia decided not to sign the American-initiated Methane Deal that was proposed as part of the UN COP26 summit in Glasgow. Similarly, three months after the withdrawal of US-led NATO led troops from Afghanistan Russia’s position towards the recognition of the Taliban government will prove crucial when it comes to the consolidation of an international consensus on the future of Afghanistan. With the annexation of Crimea the divisions between Russia and the West have resurfaced, prompting one particular view that these events account for a significant change in Russia’s commitment to uphold the fundamental principles of international order. In this context one fundamental question arises: Has international consensus for this order- based on respect for territorial sovereignty, the integrity and inviolability of borders and a belief that relations can be built on common values-collapsed and has Russia contributed to such collapse? This paper thus investigates Russia’s normative positions towards the founding principles of the liberal international order as part of multilateral organizations such as the UN, by focusing on recent developments in international diplomacy and tracing its past regional diplomatic initiatives towards unresolved conflicts in the Post-Soviet space towards better understanding continuity and change in Russian foreign policy.
