Listening to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speeches about what kind of international order Russia seeks brings us back to the concept of the Concert of Europe — a system in which certain countries enjoy spheres of influence.
This architecture allows some privileged nations to encourage, compel, cajole and coerce those within their sphere to make foreign and domestic policy choices in line with the dominant power’s preferences and priorities.
Since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin has discussed at length the importance of “indivisible security,” a concept that embodies the sphere of influence logic. According to the Kremlin, indivisible security means that one country’s security cannot come at the expense of another’s.