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Abstract

This article is devoted to a critical analysis of six major foreign theories of civil-military relations (S. Huntington, M. Janowitz, C. Moskos, P. Feaver, R. Schiff, and D. Bland) in order to assess their applicability to the Russian context. The study employs a neoinstitutional approach, as well as comparative-historical and structural-functional methods, together with a critical analysis of conceptual models. The novelty of the study lies in the systematic comparison of US-centric and universal approaches, taking into account Russia’s geopolitical, institutional, and cultural-historical specificities. It is established that the former do not account for the specific nature of foreign-policy and domestic factors, while the latter require further specification for application under the conditions of contemporary high-intensity conflicts. As a result, the article proposes an adapted theoretical approach based on a synthesis of D. Bland’s theory of shared responsibility and selected provisions from the concepts of R. Schiff, S. Huntington, M. Janowitz, and C. Moskos, including an expanded range of actors. The study concludes that it is advisable to move from the concept of „civilian control“ to the broader concept of „civilian governance“ in order to harmonize institutional interaction.