| Summary/Abstract |
The term 'legitimacy' has a prominent place in Russian political rhetoric. It has been on the lips of the country's policymakers for the past 15 years. Over that period, its interpretation has undergone certain changes, but the core meaning is intact and can be found in all statements on Russia's position. It saw shifts in emphasis now and then though. Initially, it was about the supreme legitimacy of international organizations and legitimacy as people's confidence in politicians and institutions, and later on it was referred to in a narrow legal sense as the legitimacy of the existing institutions. However, the original sense of the word is still valid.
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