In the first part, the theoretical chapter will illustrate the change from a rather liberally dominated domestic and foreign policy under Boris Yeltsin to the neorealistic geopolitical influence of Putin as well as the influence on the interpretation of events at the international level. Based on Putin’s addresses to the nation from 2014, the second chapter focuses on the influence of NATO’s Eastern Europe strategy to the second eastern enlargement in 2004. The second part — released in a few weeks — focuses on the political instability in Russia’s area of interest and the resultant increased influence of the West in the third chapter. In the conclusion, the findings will be summarized, the research question will be answered and implications for the long-term easing of relations will be drawn.