From cooperation to confrontation: US-Russia relations since 9/11

Abstract Relations between the US and Russia during the George W. Bush era were marked by a dramatic shift from cooperation to confrontation. Russia’s unequivocal support for the US-led War on Terror in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2001 gave way to a sustained rise in anti-Western sentiment in the Russian political narrative. This article analyses US-Russia relations during the presidency of George W. Bush through the lens of great power relations and status. It explores the distinctive aspects of the Bush administration’s foreign policy approach and how they impacted the US-Russia relationship: notably increasing US unilateralism and its apparent rejection of multilateralism, liberal interventionism and the pursuit of democracy promotion around the world. These continue to shape the Russian view of the US, its intentions and attitude towards international order.