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How did Catherine II change Russia’s policy after Peter III was deposed?

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Seven Years' War: Battle of Zorndorf — Seven Years’ War Frederick II leading his Prussian troops against Russians at the Battle of Zorndorf during the Seven Years' War, August 25, 1758.

After Peter III was deposed in June 1762, Catherine II (the Great) significantly altered Russia’s foreign policy, particularly regarding the Seven Years’ War.

Peter III had been a fervent admirer of Frederick II of Prussia and had abruptly withdrawn Russia from the war, ending the alliance with Austria and France to instead align with Prussia. Upon seizing power, Catherine II moved to distance Russia from her husband's pro-Prussian stance and his plans to engage in a war against Denmark to benefit his native Holstein.

While Catherine maintained a complex relationship with European powers throughout her long reign, her accession marked a shift away from the erratic and unpopular foreign policy decisions that had characterized Peter III’s brief rule. She subsequently pursued an ambitious foreign policy focused on expanding Russian influence, including the partition of Poland and conflicts with the Ottoman Empire, ultimately seeking to establish herself as an enlightened monarch on the European stage.123