Rusijos užsienio politika didžiųjų Rytų Azijos valstybių atžvilgiu 2005-2014 m. ; Russia's foreign policy towards the great East Asian states 2005-2014
East Asia is the area of interests' clash between states like Russia, China, Japan and the USA. Judging by power levels China and the USA are the strongest poles of the international relations system, although weaker Russia and Japan are not willing to concede. Therefore, Russia faces the challenge of forming and implementing foreign policy, effectiveness of which will decide Russia's position regionally and globally. In this context, the problem of Russia's foreign policy towards the great East Asian states arises. The global importance of China, Japan, the USA and Russia itself makes bilateral actions at regional level globally important. Seeking to take part in the creation of a new multipolar system, Russia is forced to act in current regional power balance conditions. Therefore, Russia can enforce its positions as a new power pole or become weak and dependent player in comparison to great East Asian states. The aim of this study is to assess the influence that the Russian foreign policy towards the great East Asian states has in the context of increasing Russia's power. The relations between Russia, China, Japan and the USA in relation to East Asia region are explained by applying descriptive–analytic, comparison and document analysis methods. The study presents the description of international relations in the light of neoclassical realism, analyses the main geopolitical and social-economic factors that decide the importance of Russian foreign policy towards the great East Asian states and describes the effect that Russia's actions have on its power positions. It is determined in the conclusion of this research that state's foreign policy is perceived as a result of interaction between systemic and national factors. Having in mind Russia's geopolitical conditions this concept translates into a confrontation between an understanding of a bridge and a buffer zone. Russia is an important international actor as a bridge between Europe and Asia at the same time separating Europe from East Asia's great states', global influence of which is constantly growing. Therefore, Russia's foreign policy towards the great East Asian states is to exploit the USA's power loss in favour to China for personal gains of enforcing its own status as a power pole. The effect of actions taken to achieve this goal is ambivalent. Russia's actions towards China, Japan and the USA are logical and well backed up in the context of power balance being a result between the aforementioned states, although judging from the long term perspective the argumentation of these actions are questioned in the light of general Russian power increase.