In the era of the Russian Empires, Russia aimed to become a dominant global power and developed various economic and social policies to improve living standards and compete with the rest of the world. However, following the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's foreign policy shifted towards pragmatism. During Boris Yeltsin's presidency in 1991, Russia focused on building relationships with the United States and former Soviet states rather than strengthening its military. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| As a result, Russia's economy suffered, and the threat of territorial dissolution became more apparent. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| To lift the morale of citizens and improve the economy, Putin implemented new foreign policies that were pragmatic and focused on using "soft power" to establish Russia as a modern great power.

Soft power was effective because it focused on common people and society rather than just the government and elites. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| By establishing bilateral relations among Asian nations, Russia intended to derail the integration of Central Asia, prevent the eastward expansion of NATO, and lessen the US's influence in Eurasia, resulting in a multipolar international system.

In addition to political legitimacy, Putin utilized the country's rich energy resources to implement economic interdependence. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE |||||||

With renewed confidence, Putin has executed cultural foreign policies to its diaspora, allocating more funds to provide financial support to impoverished former Soviet states and implementing cultural policies within and outside of Russia. |||||||| HIDDEN IN PREVIEW MODE ||||||| Instead of using imperialistic authority, Russia now adopts soft power to form international relations with other states.

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