Understanding the Smart Power in Russia’s Foreign Policy (2014 – 2019)

It is more than a decade that the concept of “smart power” had entered the realm of political and international studies. It firstly initiated in the political and diplomatic circles of the United States and later on entered the political agenda of other power such as Russia, due to its thorough content. The mentioned concept reflects the evolution of power relations in a global level. The present paper tries to find an answer for the following question: Is Russia’s attempt for using smart power compatible for securing its foreign policy priorities and goals? The author argues that according to the complex nature (soft power and hard power) of smart power model, Russia’s reliance on smart power is based on hard power. The research findings show that using environmental smartness, rapid reaction, rational flexibility, as well as using power resources for growth process continuity, have been the most eminent existing features in Russia’s smart power strategy from 2014 to 2019.