Westernizing democracy defines the Russian nation in terms of citizenship and advocates behavior in line with the standards of western nations. Both nativism and westernizing democracy, however, are politically weak and not widely resonant in Russian society. National patriots define the Russian nation in terms of blood, argue that Russians should be treated better than other ethnic groups, and emphasize force as a means to restore order at home and respect and power abroad. The most resonant strand of nationalism in Russia today is statism. All statists deplore the breakup of the Soviet Union and define the national mission as one of rebuilding Russian strength and great power status.
Differences exist, however, between ethnocentric statists and their more civic counterparts.
They are ambivalent about the legacy of communism and about democracy as an effective system of government for Russia. They are also more likely to view the West, especially the United States, as Russia's foe and to advocate measures, including the use of force, to defend Russian national interests. Civic statists include as members of the Russian nation not only ethnic Russians, but all others assimilated into Russian language and culture and faithful to the Russian motherland. They reject communism and seek to reconcile democracy with strong patriotism. They view the West as occasional partner or foe, depending on what vital Russian interests are in question.