On the basis of intensive evidence, the monograph explores the role of Russia in the European security order as it evolved since the end of the cold war, options that were tried at different stages – from the integration into the “political West” through the delineation of areas of responsibility between the Eurasian and the Euro-Atlantic communities. It explores how Russian policies toward the OSCE, the EU, NATO, arms control or the Eurasian integration changed depending on the choices made in Russia and in the West. The study concludes that Russia has not yet found a satisfactory mode of participation in the European security order. Meanwhile, the range of available options has been reduced. The integration into the Euro-Atlantic community is no longer considered an option either in Russia or in the West while European nations have developed a solid resilience to any division of the continent into spheres of influence. Against the background of the contemporary crisis, the real choice is between isolation or self-isolation, descent into the periphery of the European security order, or the maintenance of a modus vivendi.