Russia's Foreign Policy Actions and the Syrian Civil War in the United Nations Security Council

Focusing on the meeting records of the United Nations Security Council draft resolutions that Russia vetoed to stop the Council action targeting the Syrian regime, this article explains the rationale behind the diplomatic shield Russia has provided to Syria. It explores Russia's motivations, interests, perceptions, and fears through five distinct themes identified from the meeting records. By doing so, it offers further evidence on Russia's adaptive and responsive position in the negotiated international order that is formed in confrontation with the West. It also demonstrates that the discourses in the Council function as part of a process in which Russia's national identity, values, and priorities in international politics are constructed socially.