Russia's Soft Power - rushtermpapers

Russia’s Soft Power

Soft power is characterized with countries co-opting and attracting one another instead of engaging force, coercion or giving money in persuasion. The concept was developed at Harvard University by Joseph Nye, hence influencing the global politics (Nye, 2005). Soft power is not only affecting Russia but it is also affecting other nations of the world. The soft power concept is common among the statesmen and global analysts. The world is facing globalization and national boundaries have been opened up by the increased international events. Soft power in facilitated by international strategic communications, diplomacy, civic actions, foreign assistance, economic development and economic reconstruction.

Russia is not left behind on issues of soft power; the country has committed itself to billions of funds in improving its international status and in facilitating foreign publics. Political leadership in Russia has signaled the need of a soft power, although the concept is originally from the western nations (Osipova, 2013). The issue of culture will have an influence on the applicability of the soft power concept. Researchers and scholars argue that the soft power concept is developed with the reflection of the American international objectives and American worldview.

The administration of President Vladimir Putin is concerned about returning the glory of Russia, a former superpower nation. Economists and political elites in Russia have argued that globalization is a world phenomenon, and that the information age is changing the ways nations are identifying with the international relations. For Russia to come back to its lost glory, then the nation has to improve on its global image through public support, public diplomacy and soft power concept (Osipova, 2013). Public diplomacy according to the Russians is pegged on information initiatives provided by the current government, while the societal or social diplomacy is pegged on information offered by the civil and private societal organizations. People’s diplomacy is the information offered by influential individuals in the community (Sherr, 2013).

Public diplomacy in Russia is attached on political and legal frameworks set by the Russian government. There are a number of cases where the government plays crucial roles and other cases where the government plays background role, depending on context (Sherr, 2013). The Russian government has committed itself in offering essential policy support as of February 2013; the support is directed at the Russian media with the intention of diversifying and improving on the international image of Russia (Markitan, 2013).

Russia is currently supporting RT television network, Russia behind the Headlines, Voice of Russia radio and RIA Novosti among others. The support of the Russian media is facilitated by Kremlin with the intention of countering the dominant Western media in the world (Osipova, 2013). Russia has personalized the soft power concept by integrating foreign policy concept, which includes cultural aspects, foreign policy objectives, traditional diplomacy and technologies.

Some of the organizations involved in cultural diplomacy identify with Rossotrudnichestvo, Russkiy Mir Foundation and the Gorchakov Fund among others. Russian soft power is also influenced by sovereignty as part of Russian foreign and domestic policy, in a way that the nation counters information security and threats (Osipova, 2013). Resistance has been experienced by the Russian government; an example is the USAID expulsion in Russia and the move to have nongovernmental organizations funded from outside Russia to register in Russia as foreign agents.

Nations opposing the American global objectives and worldview find it difficult adapting to the soft power concept, Russia is aspiring to gain some benefits attached to the soft power concept. The challenge is pegged on the adaptation of the concept considering that the political and cultural environment is different from that of the Western nations. In so doing, Russia will have to redefine soft power concept to make it fit to the current context within Russia.

References

Markitan, A. (2013, September 02). Soft Power 2.0: Reshaping Russia’s foreign policy. Retrieved December 05, 2013, from Rbth.ru: http://rbth.ru/international/2013/09/02/soft_power_20_reshaping_russias_foreign_policy_29427.html

Nye, J. S. (2005). Soft Power: The Means To Success In World Politics. New York: PublicAffairs.

Osipova, Y. (2013). U.S. – Russia Bilateral Relations, Making Sense of Russia’s “Soft Power”. Retrieved December 05, 2013, from Globalinterests.org: http://www.globalinterests.org/2013/07/10/making-sense-of-russias-soft-power/

Sherr, J. (2013). Hard Diplomacy and Soft Coercion: Russia’s Influence Abroad. London: Chatham House.