Russia and Changing International Order; Approach and Practice

The purpose of this article is to examine Russia's approach and practice towards the changing international order. Due to various reasons, especially weakening of the US/ West as dominant force and the emergence of new great agents, including China, the international order is in a state of transition to a new one, and as a result, the ordering mechanisms, communications, trends and issues are changing. For reasons including revisionist discourse, US/Western systemic pressure, ideal of great power and diverse resources, Russia has a claim to be promoted in international power system. This article examines Russia's approach and performance in this field with the help of Power Cycle Theory with qualitative method of content analysis of texts and documents. Emphasizing challenges in transition period and changes in international power system, the theory considers adaptation of relationship between power and role in critical periods of the power cycle, including transition, as a main challenge. In this framework, stressing its independent position as a great power, emphasizing the end of hegemonic order, supporting oligarchy-concert order, with a pragmatic and cautious approach to international order and its regulators, Moscow is to play a more active role in global governance. The findings of the article partially confirm Russia’s claims, but it emphasizes that due to the geo-economic nature of the future order and relationship between economic power and international role in this order, Russia's effectiveness will decrease. Therefore, Iran should pay attention to this fact when calculating long-term relations, including the 20-year contract with Russia.