Page 160 - 《国际安全研究）》2020年第2期

Journal of International Security Studies
the “creation, evolution and demise” of the treaty. Mikhail Gorbachev’s “new
thinking” reforms and the upsurge in nuclear disarmament movement in the 1980s
provided a special political and social context for the birth of the INF Treaty. The
“America First” concept pursued by the Donald Trump administration has prompted
the United States to withdraw from various international treaties and organizations,
making the INF Treaty one of the victims. In different historical periods, the role of
the INF varied in maintaining global strategic stability. In the early 1960s, it was the
backbone of the central deterrence of the United States and the Soviet Union. In the
1970s and 1980s, INF became an important factor affecting extended deterrence. In
the 21st century, it has become a tool for Russia to fight against the US missile
defense system. At present, INF plays an increasingly important role in
cross-domain deterrence. The world is now witnessing a recurrence of the INF
competition among big powers, but the new round of competition will surely
demonstrate many new characteristics different from those of the past.
[Keywords] INF Treaty, arms race, arms control, nuclear disarmament, the US and
Russia’s withdrawal from the INF Treaty
[Authors] GUO Xiaobing, Research Fellow and Director of Center for Arms
Control Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (Beijing,
100081); LONG Yun, Associate Professor, China Foreign Affairs University
(Beijing, 100037).

73 An Analysis of the Evolution of Russia’s Strategic Perception of the
US and Its Foreign Policy Impact
SONG Wei and YU Youjuan
[Abstract] The paper reviews the three-stage evolution of Russia’s strategic
perception of the US: friendship and cooperation, heightened competition and
intensified confrontation. Russia’s assertive diplomatic and security policies can be
observed through its hard-line strategic posture towards the US and NATO, and its
pursuit of diplomatic and security objectives beyond its national strength. Although
a mutual shaping relationship between the evolution of Russia’s strategic perception
and its colliding interests with the United States can be seen clearly in Russia-US
interactions, changes in Russia’s strategic perception are not merely determined by
national interest considerations. Historical and psychological factors that shape
Russia’s strategic perception play a very important role in making people understand
why Russia has placed a high premium on NATO’s eastward expansion, the
situation in Ukraine and its actions in Syria with a massive investment of resources.
Many policies and actions adopted by the United States do not pay any attention to
these historical and psychological factors, which is deemed as “insulting” or
“threatening” by Russia, thus giving rise to a spiral of enmity and antagonism
between the two sides. Due to Russia’s unique historical memory and great-power
complex, Russia has made drastic responses to the conflicts of interests with the
United States. Although these responses are not conducive to Russia’s national
strength and overall national interests, they may still be justified. Now that Russia’s
strategic perception of the US is beginning to take shape, it is quite difficult to
“restart” the Russia-US relations in the short term. Viewed from the case study of
Russia’s strategic perception of the US, strategic perception in itself has its relative
independence, which is not only affected by conflicts of interests but also influenced
by social and cultural factors so that a country’s foreign policies may not always
follow the path of rationalism.
[Keywords] Russia-US relationship, strategic perception, foreign and security
policy, assertive diplomacy
[Authors] SONG Wei, Professor, School of International Studies, Renmin

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