title: The Nexus of Neoclassical Realism and Soft Power the Case of the West – Russia Geopolitical Rivalries in the “Common Neighbourhood”
abstract: This thesis analyses soft power in the light of neoclassical realist premises as part of the foreign policy toolkit of great powers to expand their sphere of influence. It argues that if nuclear armed great powers compete against the same type of powers to expand or sustain their sphere of influence over a populated region, they use soft power as a major expansive instrument while military power remains a tool to defend themselves and back up their foreign policies. Presenting its model of soft 