What were the main directions of Ivan the Terrible’s foreign policy?
There are three main directions in the foreign policy of Ivan the Terrible.
First, Ivan IV began a struggle with Sweden for the access of the Russian kingdom to the Baltic Sea. The war only drained the forces of Russia and did not bring success. On the contrary, some territories were lost.
The second, let’s call it the southeastern direction, is the struggle for the annexation of Kazan and the Astrakhan Khanate in order to protect itself from raids. The khanates were annexed. The beginning of the development of Siberia belongs to the same direction.
The third is the protection of the southern borders from the raids of the Crimean Khan’s troops.
It was not possible to establish relations with the countries of Western Europe, since the European rulers did not want rapprochement with the Russian kingdom.