RUSIJOS SULAIKYMO STRATEGIJA ŠIUOLAIKINĖJE JAV UŽSIENIO POLITIKOJE
RUSSIA‘S CONTAINMENT STRATEGY IN THE CONTEMPORARY FOREIGN POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Summary/Abstract: Containment strategy is the strategy that aims to prevent the spread of enemies’ influence. This strategy dominated the US foreign policy for the long time: framed by George F. Kennan after the WW II containment strategy was the most important mean of US foreign policy towards Soviet Union up till the end of the Cold war. After the collapse of Soviet Union strategic enemy of US was gone. However, it seems that Russia being the most powerful descendant of Soviet Union has ambitions to regain its lost power. Therefore the question arises how important is containment strategy in the contemporary foreign policy of US. The purpose of this article is to analyze Russia’s containment strategy in the contemporary foreign policy of US. Russia’s containment strategy is an important mean of US contemporary foreign policy but exists only on the practical level of US foreign policy – the official documents of US do not declare that US is employing Russia’s containment strategy. Though, in the practice of US foreign policy many features of Russia’s containment strategy can be noticed: the expansion of NATO, arms limitation treaties, the expansion of US influence in post-soviet space, initiative to build missile defence shield in Europe. It can be said that the employment of Russia’s containment strategy in US policy depends on Russia’s foreign policy: the more aggressive Russia’s foreign policy is the more active US is employing Russia’s containment strategy.

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