Neo-Eurasianism in Russian Foreign Policy: Echoes from the Past or Compromise with the Future?

With its growing geopolitical inclination, Russian foreign policy has been
considered as a resurgence of Eurasianism (Neo-Eurasianism).
Notwithstanding its strong geopolitical sense, Eurasianism is multifaceted
concept. It is often associated with philosophical thinking, cultural and
political doctrines which changed over time and yet full of contradictions. This
article seeks to find out the influence of Neo-Eurasianism in Russian foreign
policy. Tracing back the idea of Eurasianism from historical perspective and
employing Graham Smith classification on school of Eurasianism, this article
argues that the rise of Neo-Eurasianism in Russia is driven by the needs to
define and strengthen the spheres of influences. It is mainly motivated by
ethnocentric sentiments to expand the sphere of influences across the border as a safeguard and protection. Neo-Eurasianism compromises building a
foreign policy consensus based on political culture and national awareness.