Influence Strategies of the USA and Russia on the Post-Soviet Space: Comparative Analysis

The aim of this final qualifying work focuses on research of two case-studies of influence strategies of the United States and Russia in the Post-Soviet Space and on finding out the main differences of these strategies. The theoretical part of the work deals with the definitions of power, leadership, influence and spheres and an arena of influence in the world. It describes Russia’s and America’s strategies in the Post-Soviet space as two global hegemons that prove national interests in the international arena. The theoretical part also defines the main theories that elucidate strategies of each state. In the empirical part, on the basis of hypotheses, a content-analysis is carried out by researching posts in media, news and public speeches of politicians. Based on the analysis, it was concluded that Russia in the post-Soviet space adheres to the strategy of “benevolent leadership” in exchange for loyalty and support in the UN and the OSCE. The Russian Federation has an influence on the policies of the EAEU member states and partially the CIS. In turn, the United States uses similar tools in all post-Soviet states as opposed to Russia's influence. Particularly important is the influence of the United States in the policies of the GUAM states and Armenia. Key words: Russia, US, USA, America, CIS, EAEU, Eurasian Economic Union, GUAM, political influence, power, regional leadership, theory of hegemonic stability, Cold War, the Post-Soviet space, hegemon, strategy of influence, sphere of influence