THE ‘GARDENING STATE’ IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: PUTIN’S RUSSIA AND ITS NEAR ABROAD POLICY

Authors : Kürşad Güç

Pages : 928-942

Doi:10.52122/nisantasisbd.1766258

View : 109 | Download : 300

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study adapts Zygmunt Bauman’s metaphors of the gardening state and garden culture to the analysis of international relations and foreign policy, examining Russia’s Near Abroad policy during the Putin era in the post-Soviet space. Bauman’s metaphor provides a powerful framework for understanding states’ tendencies to establish a desired order within their “gardens” by controlling, preventing, and if necessary, violently eliminating “weeds,” i.e., exclusionary and perceived threats. The study analyzes Russia’s traumatic transformations in the 1990s, its strengthening of the Near Abroad doctrine since the 2000s, tensions arising from NATO and the EU’s eastward expansion into the former Soviet space, and Russia’s policies in the Georgia war, the annexation of Crimea, and the Ukraine war within this metaphorical framework. Putin’s efforts to reassert influence in the region align with foreign policy concerns over sovereignty, status, and normative order. This work aims to bridge social theory and political practice, contributing to a deeper understanding of state behavior in contemporary international relations.
Keywords : Rusya, Rus Dış Politikası, Yakın Çevre Doktrini, Zygmunt Bauman, Bahçıvan Devlet, Retrotopya

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