Honest Broker or Status-Seeker: Russia's Policy in Libya.

This paper examines Russia's actions in Libya in the context of its pursuit of great power status. Drawing on a theoretical framework of Social Identity Theory, which had been developed and popularized in IR by the scholars Larson and Shevchenko, the article argues that Russia's Libya policy consists of two strategies. First, it pursues social creativity through versatile diplomacy, which has positioned it as an invaluable mediator. Moreover, Russia relies also on social competition by supporting Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar. While these strategies raised Russia's profile, the ultimate success of status-seeking strategies depends on the recognition by the higher-status holders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]