PROTECTIONISM AS A TOOL OF RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY IN THE CONTEXT OF A MULTIPOLAR WORLD ORDER

Abstract

This study is aimed at analyzing protectionism as a strategic tool of the Russian Federation’s foreign policy in the context of the formation of a multipolar world order. The relevance of the work is due to the increasing trends towards deglobalization and the revision of international trade models. However, the problem lies in the insufficient systematization of the motives, forms and consequences of Russian protectionism in the context of its foreign policy, and not only economic, expediency.
Based on the methodology of neorealism in international relations and applying a systematic analysis, as well as a comparative legal approach, we analyze the evolution of Russia’s protectionist measures from 2014 to 2024, including import substitution, counter-sanctions and the development of national payment systems. Results. The work reveals that Russian protectionism has transformed from a forced response into a comprehensive strategy aimed at achieving economic sovereignty, reorienting trade flows to alternative centers of power (Asia, the Middle East) and strengthening political influence within the EAEU.
The study proves that under the conditions of sanctions pressure, protectionism has become a key element in building a national economy resistant to external shocks and a tool for weakening the unipolar hegemony of the West. 
Thus, the study showed that protectionism in Russian foreign policy practice is a multifaceted tool that serves the goals of both economic security and geopolitical positioning.
Its results can be used to further predict the development of the international system, develop strategies for adapting national economies to new realities, and understand the logic of Russian foreign policy in a multipolar context.