Differentiation of youth views about Russian foreign policy

In the current global landscape of significant changes, Russian foreign policy is also undergoing notable transformations. Since 2014, and especially after 2022, Western countries, led by the United States, have been actively pursuing a policy of containing Russia, which entails a change in the parameters of Russian foreign policy.

Despite continuing regional priorities in the post-Soviet space, Russia now seeks to participate in shaping the new world order. This is reflected in redefinition of goals and objectives in the basic documents that guide the foreign policy of the Russian Federation. A significant area of interest is the study of Russians’ attitudes, particularly those of progressive social groups such as young people, toward the ongoing course of Russian foreign policy. It helps to identify the readiness of citizens to support various directions of Russian foreign policy. The importance of the issue being discussed is also attributed to the fact that there has not been enough research into the foreign policy orientations of various young groups. In particular, there is a lack of comprehensive studies of the attitudes of young people, especially students, toward Russia's current foreign policy. The aim of this article is to analyze of the views of modern youth about the Russia's foreign policy course from the perspective of their general assessment and differentiation of opinions, taking into account the socio-demographic characteristics and social resources of young people. This article uses data from sociological research among youth in the regions of Penza, Tyumen, and Saratov in 2023-2024, as well as the findings of other sociological studies on similar topics. From this analysis, the author concludes that there is a high level of youth interest in global political events and a generally positive view of Russia's current foreign policy. Additionally, significant factors influencing the foreign policy orientations of modern youth include gender, age, type of settlement, and material well-being.

The findings can be used in the development of youth policies to create mechanisms that promote a positive perception of Russia's foreign policy among young people, which is crucial for supporting the country's current foreign policy direction.

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